Pokémon Unova Journey VOL 1
by 19jchoi
Summary: In Unova, a new trainer named Takeru wishes to enter the Unova League, after seeing many regional leagues. With his partner, Riolu, he travels around Unova with new friends, like Ash, Iris, and Cilan, to earn Unova Gym Badges and many exciting events. But, evil intends to get in his way of accomplishing his dream. Will Takeru be able to overcome it?
1. The Brotherly Aura!

**Pokémon Unova Journey VOL. 1**

**(I do not own Pokémon)**

**Chapter 1: The Brotherly Aura**

In the Pokémon world, in a region called Unova, there was a town called Nuvema Town. At one of the houses, an eleven year old boy was sleeping in his bedroom, a very clean one, to be exact. A Pokémon named Riolu was sleeping besides him, cuddling close to him. The boy's name is Takeru Yamada.

Takeru's dark brown eyes opened as he sat up from his bed. He rubbed the back of his head, looking back at his Emanation Pokémon. Riolu was still sleeping, tossing and turning. Takeru let out a smile, deciding to wake his little friend up. He gently shook Riolu. "Hey, Riolu. Time to wake up." Takeru called smoothly.

Riolu purred as it opened his eyes and saw his human brother. "Morning, buddy. How are you feeling?" Takeru asked. _"Good morning, brother!"_ Riolu chirped in aura, stretching his arms up high. Takeru chuckled at his pumped up Riolu. "Alright... Shall we take a walk?" Takeru asked. _"Yes!" _Riolu nodded with a smile.

With that, Takeru began to dress up to his outdoor clothing. His black hair with yellow bangs covered his right eye as he changed. He wore black wristbands, an Xtransceiver, white shirt, gray sweater, black shorts, and into gray sneakers. Takeru sighed as he headed downstairs. Riolu followed, while looking at the boy curiously.

Takeru looked around at the living room. It was quiet, and clean. Too quiet, it had seem. The Nuvema boy just shook his head and headed outside with Riolu on his shoulder. Outside, the air was fresh. Wild Pidoves were flying around the town, with citizens and their Pokémon taking walks or doing errands.

"Morning, Takeru!" One man called. Takeru smiled as he gave the greeting back. More people greeted him in "Good Morning". Just then, a ringing sound was made, coming from Takeru's wrist. He took out his Xtransceiver, and picked up the call. The screen showed a woman's face, someone that Takeru knew very well.

"Good morning, Takeru. I hope that you are well?" The Unova Professor, Prof. Juniper asked, smiling at the boy. "The same as usual, Professor. What's with the call?" Takeru asked, in a bored voice. Prof. Juniper smiled apologetically as she explained her reason for the sudden call.

"You see, someone is coming to Nuvema Town tomorrow, you see. He's from the Kanto region, and I want to give him a warm welcome." Juniper answered. "A person from the Kanto region? Why come here?" Takeru asked. _"Yeah. Why is he coming to Unova?" _Riolu asked, poking his head out to see the Unova Professor.

"Well you see, a friend of mine, Professor Oak is coming by to study the legends of Unova with me. He's bringing in a trainer of his. I want you to let you know, if you're interested of seeing this trainer." Juniper explained. Takeru rubbed the back of his head, and looked at his partner. "What do you think of this, Riolu?" Takeru asked.

_"I think it's a great idea!"_ Riolu answered in aura, nodding with a grin. That made Takeru smile and nod in agreement. "Alright then, Professor. I'll come by to the Lab tomorrow then. I guess am kind of curious to see who this new trainer is." Takeru answered. "Wonderful! I'm sure that this trainer will be happy to see you as well!" Juniper giggled.

With that, the watch had shut down. Takeru lowered his watch and smiled at his partner. He rubbed Riolu's fur, causing him to purr happily. "Looks like we're going to meet someone tomorrow, Riolu. Let's just hope that he's friendly to the region, okay?" Takeru asked. _"Sure, brother!"_ Riolu chirped happily, nuzzling against Takeru's cheek.

**(Pokémon: BW Best Wishes Opening: Be An Arrow! (English Subbed))**

(Ash, Takeru, Cilan, and Iris are running with Pikachu, Riolu, Pansage, and Axew, with colorful arrows flying above them as they ran to a light!)

**_One swiftly running arrow!_**

(A blue pillar and orange pillar appears, showing Ash and Pikachu, with Takeru and Riolu)

_**One supple arrow!**_

(A purple pillar appears, showing Iris and Axew)

_**One thinking arrow!**_

(A yellow green pillar appears, showing Cilan)

_**That's us now!**_

(Ash, Takeru, Cilan, and Iris stand together as they move towards the air together)

**_Cross the green mountain, remove the white clouds_**

(The Japanese opening appears)

_**Let's colorfully push through the wilderness, become an arrow!**_

(A group of wild Pokémon from the five regions run or fly along)

_**Even if we suddenly turn around, twist, and shake**_

(Ash, Cilan, Takeru, and Iris are running alongside with the Water Type Pokémon on the sea)

(Meloetta suddenly appears, snatching Ash's hat from his head)

_**There's no way that we'll get separated!**_

(In Prof. Oak's laboratory, all of Ash's Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh were there; Charizard gives a thumbs up to the screen)

_**Sometimes I can no longer see the road, and don't know where to go**_

(Ash and Takeru were stopped by giant pillars, blocking their way)

_**But you will always be by my side!**_

(Pikachu and Riolu appears, with Pikachu using Thunderbolt, while Riolu uses Aura Sphere)

(Both trainers and Pokémon smile happily at each other)

_**Even the bright sun is hidden by the clouds sometimes**_

(Keldeo, Cobalion, Virizion, and Terrakion stands together on top of an ice)

(Kyurem appears, turning into either Black or White Kyurem)

_**But meetings will always bring light!**_

(Cynthia and Alder smile at the four trainers standing at the bottom)

(Hikaru and Dawn comes by, with Infernape using Flamethrower, as Piplup uses Hydro Pump)

(Jessie, James, and Meowth let out evil smirks)

_**One too hot arrow!**_

(Stephan and Sawk pose together, standing together)

_**Two competitive arrows!**_

(Trip and Servine appears together after the dust clears)

_**Three helpful arrows!**_

(Bianca comes by with Pignite, as the two fall together)

_**So the heart will never break!**_

(Trip, Dawn, Hikaru, Iris, Ash, Takeru, Cilan, Bianca, and Stephan stand together with their Pokémon partners)

_**Aim forward as an arrow!**_

(Everyone shoots in the air, towards the sky)

_**Shine greater than even now as an arrow!**_  
_**Thrust toward your dream!**_

(Everyone combines together, creating a huge arrow, shooting towards the building)

(Takeru, Ash, Cilan, and Iris all stand together with all of their current Pokémon)

(Ash: Pikachu, Oshawott, Snivy, Tepig, and Pidove)  
(Takeru: Riolu, Pidove, Tepig, and Joltik)  
(Iris: Axew and Excadrill)  
(Cilan: Pansage)

Takeru smiled at his little Pokémon brother. He rememebered the first time he had met with Riolu. It was about two years ago, when he was living alone, during the winter.

**Flashback**

_Takeru was walking home in a snowy day, having all the supplies he needed to cook himself for supper. He was a nine year old, who was taught how to cook, thanks to Prof. Juniper. He shivered by the cold wind and the freezing snow. He was nearly home, when he heard a weak cry, and a weak voice. "H-Help..." The voice pleaded._

_Takeru stopped abruptly and turned around, looking to see who the voice belonged to. Suddenly, as he looked around, a weak aura struck into his mind, telling him where the voice is. "Please... Help..." The voice pleaded again. Takeru then headed towards an alley between the two buildings._

_The boy widened his eyes of what he had saw. It was a Riolu, a little one, lying in a pile of snow, shivering. A small growl sounded out. Takeru knew what the problem was. Riolu was very hungry, and was too weak to move. He was also cold, which was obviously explaining the shiver he's having._

_"Poor Riolu..." Takeru whispered. Then, an idea came to his mind. He walked over to the hungry Emanation Pokémon and picked him up. He then tucked the Riolu inside his thick winter jacket, trying to make Riolu comfy and warm. "Shh... I'm here." Takeru whispered, trying to soothe the Riolu._

_"So warm..." The voice again came to his mind. Takeru rapidly looked around to see who the voice is. "Big... Brother..." The voice murmured, sighing happily. The Nuvema boy finally figured who the voice belonged to. He looked down at the a Riolu who was snuggling on his chest. Takeru smiled as he carried the Riolu and his food supplies back home._

_Later, Takeru arrived at his home, placing the food supplies bags on the couch. He placed the Riolu on the sofa, placing a blanket over the Fighting Type. The Riolu cuddled close to the blanket. Takeru chuckled at the Riolu's comfiness. He took out the ingredients he needed in order to make supper._

_As the Nuvema boy began to cook up the food with the ingredients mixed together, a delicious smell began to waft in the air, catching the Riolu's attention. The Emanation Pokémon opened his eyes, and got out of the sofa quickly. "Food! Food!" Riolu exclaimed happily. _

_Takeru laughed at the excited Riolu as he took out the soup he made with the ingredients. __"Would you like some?" Takeru asked, politely. "Yes! I'm starving!" Riolu exclaimed, bouncing up and down. Takeru smiled as he poured the soup in a bowl, handing it to Riolu. "Careful, it's hot." Takeru warned. Riolu nodded as he waited for the soup to cool down._

_After some time, the soup was ready to eat. Riolu then began to slurp the soup down, eating happily. The Nuvema boy laughed at the Riolu's silliness in eating. He began to eat some of his own soup, careful not to spill it. "Could I have more?" Riolu asked in aura. Takeru widened his eyes, turning to see that Riolu already finished his bowl._

_"Are you really that hungry?" Takeru asked, surprised. "Yes, brother!" Riolu nodded in a happy way. Takeru cocked his head a little. "Brother?" Takeru repeated. "Yeah! You saved me when I was cold, and you kept me warm! You're like a big brother to me!" Riolu explained. Takeru smiled and rubbed the Riolu's head._

_"Alright then. I'll get you some more." Takeru answered. He poured some more soup into the Riolu's bowl, who immediately began eating. "By the way, my name is Takeru." Takeru explained, introducing himself. "Thank you... Big brother Takeru!" Riolu giggled happily. With that, the two began their meal again._

**_Later..._**

_"I'm so full..." Riolu moaned happily. "I'm glad that you're happy." Takeru chuckled, ruffling the Riolu's head. The Emanation Pokémon then yawned, showing his bare, small fangs. "Would you like to stay here for tonight?" Takeru asked. "Yes... Big brother... Um." Riolu started, then stopped. "What is it?" Takeru asked._

_Riolu blushed lightly as he snuggled into Takeru's chest. "Can I live and stay here with you, brother Takeru?" Riolu asked, hugging him. Takeru grew surprised, but gave a sigh with a smile. He gave a warming hug back and gave the answer. "You can always stay here and live here, little brother." Takeru answered. "Thank you... Big brother..." Riolu yawned again._

_The Fighting Type fell asleep on Takeru's chest, snoring. Takeru picked up the Riolu and carried him to his room. He quickly changed into his pajamas, then laid Riolu and himself into the bed. "Sleep tight, Riolu." Takeru whispered, smiling at the purring, yet sleeping Riolu._

_"Big brother, huh? I guess I do look like an older brother figure to this cute Pokémon..." Takeru thought, as he secretly felt happy for being called as an older brother figure._

**End Flashback**

Takeru looked up at the sky, smiling lightly of the memory that he and Riolu had. _"Is something wrong, big bro?"_ Riolu asked, tugging onto Takeru's shorts. Takeru snapped out of his trance and looked down, smiling at his Pokémon brother. "Nothing. I'm just happy that we're together as a family." Takeru chuckled, ruffling Riolu's head.

_"I'm happy too, brother."_ Riolu said happily, nuzzling onto Takeru's cheek. The Nuvema boy chuckled at the affection, before turning back to where his house would be. "Let's head back home. We should prepare for tomorrow." Takeru suggested. _"Right!"_ Riolu barked out in agreement.

With that agreed, the two headed back to the house, preparing for what's about to come tomorrow.

**The next day...**

Takeru was dressed in different clothes that was a bit more stylish in outdoors. He wore a black shirt, a white jacket, red sneakers, dark blue jeans, the Xtransceiver, and the same black wristband. Riolu was in the same healthy state, walking besides Takeru. "This is it, Riolu. Prof. Oak and a new trainer is coming by. Let's get over to the Lab now so we can meet them!" Takeru called.

_"Okay, brother!"_ Riolu barked happily. With that, the two ran for the Unova Pokémon Research Lab. As they were running, the two saw a familiar boy that they were familiar with. He hand dirty blond hair, white pants, black shirt, orange jacket, and a cool look on his face. "Trip? Is that you?" Takeru asked.

The boy turned and widened his eyes of seeing Takeru and Riolu. "Well, if isn't Takeru and Riolu. You guys alright?" Trip smirked, smiling at his childhood friend. "That's pretty _basic_. Of course we are." Takeru replied with a small smile. _"That's right!"_ Riolu agreed. Trip let out a small laugh as he placed a hand on Takeru's shoulder.

"So, you heading out on your journey?" Trip asked. "Actually, I was heading to the Lab to see someone, who is a friend of Prof. Juniper." Takeru explained. Trip grew a little surprised, but accepted it. "Oh well, I was on my way for my journey, which is pretty basic." Trip explained in his situation.

"I see. Well, since we're all here together, why don't we head there together?" Takeru suggested. "That's fine. I can deal with it." Trip agreed. The two boys and Riolu then began their way to head to the Research Lab together. "So, Trip. Decided on which starter you're gonna get?" Takeru asked, curious about Trip's choice.

The boy shook his head and gave a sigh. "I'm going to have to take another look at them to make my choice." Trip explained. He then faced Takeru and grinned. Takeru smirked and they both said it together. "Of course, it's pretty basic." The two replied together. They laughed it out a little, before continuing their way to the Lab.

_"Big brother... Aren't we gonna go on a journey?"_ Riolu asked, hanging onto his partner's shoulder. Takeru looked at Riolu for a while, before smiling. "I'll think about it, Riolu. Just give me a bit of time to think." Takeru answered, rubbing Riolu's head. Riolu purred happily as he hung tight onto Takeru's shoulder.

"We're almost there. It's just over there." Trip reminded. Takeru nodeded as the two began to head there, until they heard rumbling. "What was that?" Takeru asked, looking around. "It's a storm coming, that's what!" Trip answered, looking up. Both Takeru and Riolu looked up to see lighting and dark clouds rumbling.

"What is this? There has never been any weather report about a storm coming by!" Takeru exclaimed, bewildered of what's happening. Even Trip felt bewildered as the two watched the lightning flashing in the dark sky. _"Thou art I... A strong desire... A strong will... A strong ideal..."_ A voice said darkly. Takeru perked his head up and looked around.

"Who's there?" Takeru called. "Yamada, who are you talking to?" Trip asked, saying Takeru's last name. "Hey, Trip. Didn't you hear that voice?!" Takeru asked. Trip seemed confused of what his friend was saying. "Voice? What voice?" Trip asked. Takeru widened his eyes, realizing that Trip couldn't hear the voice.

_"Big brother... Are you okay?"_ Riolu asked. Takeru looked at a Riolu at his shoulder, who was looking at him in concern. The Nuvema boy figured that even Riolu didn't hear the voice. _"Who is this...?"_ Takeru thought. He waited for the voice to say something again, but only heard the strong wind and rumbling of the clouds.

"C'mon! Let's get to the Lab! We can be safe in there!" Trip called. He pulled Takeru's wrist and dragged him to the Research Lab. "Hey! Slow down, Trip!" Takeru called. But to his dismay, Trip just picked up the pace, pulling poor Takeru quickly into the Lab.

Later, the two boys and Riolu arrived at the Nuvema Town Research Lab as they panted from all the running they had to do. "That was a close one." Trip panted. "I suppose so..." Takeru agreed, wiping his sweat away. "Ah. Trip and Takeru. You both came!" A researcher called.

The two turned to see Prof. Juniper's assistant walking to them. "Is Prof. Juniper here?" Trip asked. "Sorry, not yet. She was on her way to pick up an old friend of hers." The assistant explained. "An old friend?" Trip repeated. "You'll see. It's someone from another region." Takeru chuckled, placing a hand on his childhood friend's shoulder.

Trip gave a sigh, then took out his camera. "Do you mind if I take pictures in here?" Trip asked. The assistant grew a little confused before agreeing. "Um... Sure. If it's really that important..." The assistant agreed. She then turned to Takeru. "Professor Juniper will be here soon. So, please wait until we call you, okay?" The assistant explained.

Both Takeru and Riolu nodded in agreement. "Alright." Takeru replied. _"Sure!" _Riolu agreed, although the assistant didn't understand him. While Trip was taking pictures of the lab, Takeru and Riolu sat down on the chairs, with the Nuvema boy having some thoughts.

_"What was that voice now? It said... 'Thou art I. A strong desire. A strong will. And a strong ideal.' What did that voice mean? Does it anything to do with me? Plus, there wasn't any news report about a thunderstorm coming by... Was it all a huge coincidence? I... I just don't know anymore..."_ Takeru thought, sweating.

_"Big brother. Are you okay?"_ Riolu asked. Takeru turned to his Emanation Pokémon before smiling. "I'm okay, little buddy. Had some thoughts about the storm." Takeru answered. Riolu nodded with a happy chirp, before Trip made a call. "Hey, take a look at this, Takeru. The huge thunderstorm is over!" Trip called, much to his surprise.

Takeru ran over to check the window and gasped. It was true. The storm and the dark clouds was really gone. It was like as if it had never happened. _"What could this all mean?"_ Takeru thought again. The voice from the thunderstorm... It seemed dark and commanding, as if it was like a god was living in the clouds.

It was a strange beginning of the adventure for both Trip and Takeru. First, there was a thunderstorm, without any news of having one. And, only Takeru was able to hear the strange voice. What surprising things could come for the new hero in the story?

To be continued...

**Takeru's Team:**

**Riolu: (M): (Force Palm, Blaze Kick, ThunderPunch, Dig)**

Next chapters:

**Chapter 2: Trip VS Ash! The Bitter Rivalry!**

**Chapter 3: The Journey Begins!**

**Chapter 4: Team Rocket Shows Up!**

**Chapter 5: To Sand a Rumor!**

**Chapter 6: Geyser to Escape From!**

**Next chapter preview:**

Prof. Juniper: Hello, Trip! Takeru! I'd like you two to meet Ash Ketchum, from Pallet Town of the Kanto region!

Ash: Nice to meet you guys! I'm sure the two of you couldn't wait to go on your own journeys!

Trip: Kanto? Pallet Town? Heh... Another hillbilly coming from the boonies? Completely lame.

Ash: Hey! What do you mean by the boonies!? Pikachu and I are strong for sure!

Takeru: To have so much energy, both you and Pikachu... That's pretty inspiring.

Trip: We'll see who's more inspiring... Once I beat you and your Pikachu in a battle!


	2. Trip VS Ash! The Bitter Rivalry!

**Chapter 2: Trip VS Ash! The Bitter Rivalry!**

Last time on "Pokémon Unova Journey", Takeru was introduced in the story, along with his Pokémon partner, the Emanation Pokémon, Riolu. The two of them were having a walk around Nuvema Town, until they got a call from Prof. Juniper about a trainer and a professor from Kanto coming to the Unova region.

With the agreement, Takeru recalled the days he had when he was with Riolu. Once he snapped out of his trance, he headed back home to prepare to meet the trainer from Kanto.

The next day, he was in his different outdoor clothes, as he and Riolu headed towards the lab, which along the way, they met Trip, Takeru's best friend and childhood friend. The two decided to head to the Research Lab together, until there was a loud thunderstorm in the sky. The two trainers ran to the Lab to take safety, but not before Takeru heard a dark voice.

When the two got to the Lab, however, the thunderstorm was out of sight, looking like nothing had happened! It's a mystery for what caused the storm and all. But, for now, the two beginning trainers are about to meet a new trainer that's from the Kanto region.

Few minutes passed as Trip took more pictures of the lab with his teal-colored camera. Takeru and Riolu sat on a chair, waiting for Prof. Juniper to come by. Five minutes later, there was a sound of a door opening. The two turned to see the professor with her assistant, coming by with a new trainer.

The trainer had a cap on his head, brown eyes, zigzags on his cheeks, a messy raven looking hair. He wore red high top sneakers, black baggy jeans, a blue, white hoodie, and fingerless gloves. "Hello, Trip! Takeru! Welcome!" Prof. Juniper called happily. The two walked over to the Unova Professor.

"Hi, Prof. Juniper! I'm finally ready to set off my journey as a Pokémon Trainer!" Trip declared, feeling confident for himself. "I know you've waited in a long time for this! Welcome to the world of Pokémon!" Juniper exclaimed, smiling. That's when the trainer piped up.

"I bet you two were so excited last night that you couldn't sleep a wink! I was the same way!" The trainer chuckled, feeling silly for himself. Takeru eyed the trainer, and gave a small smile. "Are you the trainer that Prof. Juniper was talking about?" Takeru asked. "Huh?" The trainer asked, confused.

"Oh, right! Trip, Takeru, meet Ash! He's come all the way from Pallet Town of the Kanto region!" Juniper explained. "Nice to meet you, Trip! Takeru!" Ash grinned happily. Takeru nodded in acceptance, with Riolu following along. But, Trip didn't seem so excited to see the trainer. "From Pallet Town? Kanto region? Ah ha ha." Trip smirked.

Both Ash and Takeru turned to Trip, confused. "Huh? What's so funny?" Ash asked. "See, I was just wondering that a guy like you came from the boonies!" Trip smirked. Takeru grew surprised to this. "Trip. What are you saying?" Takeru asked, feeling surprised. He had never seen his childhood friend act like this to a new trainer.

For Ash, he felt insulted with this. "Hey! What do you mean, boonies!?" Ash snapped angrily. Prof. Juniper then stepped up and stopped the fighting. "Come on! Today's your first day as a Trainer! So, it's a happy day!" Juniper assured, she walked to her cart, that's as filled with three Pokéballs, five empty Pokéballs, and a Pokédex.

"Now, you can choose your partner among these three Types! First is Tepig! A Fire Type!" Juniper started, throwing the first Pokéball up in the air. The Pokéball opened, revealing Tepig, the Unova Fire starter Pokémon. "Tepig!" Tepig replied in a proud tone. "Wow! Awesome! So you're called a Tepig!" Ash exclaimed, feeling amazed.

"You've never seena Tepig before?" Takeru asked. "No, not even once! Hey! A Riolu!" Ash replied, then noticing Takeru's partner. Riolu perked his ears up and grew fidgety. "_Um... Brother... He's so full of energy..." _Riolu said, looking up at Takeru, making him smile. "What's he saying?" Ash asked, curious.

"He's a bit shy, saying that you're full of energy." Takeru answered. Ash smiled and rubbed the back of his head. Tepig shot a little fire out of his nose, making Ash impressed. "That's a Fire Type! Nice and fiery!" Ash chuckled. Juniper took out a next Pokéball. "Up next, it's Oshawott! A Water Type!" Juniper called.

She threw out the second Pokéball, which revealed the Sea Otter Pokémon. "Oshawott!" Oshawott replied. Ash crept closer to the Water Type. "Aw! Aren't you the cutest!" Ash exclaimed, feeling more excited. Oshawott rubbed the back of his head, feeling embarrassed. "Finally, Snivy! A Grass Type!" Juniper explained, throwing the last Pokéball in the air.

The ball opened, revealing the Grass Snake Pokémon, Snivy. "Sniv!" Snivy replied. "Cool! This one's got plenty of confidence! Each one of them would be good to train! It's gonna be a tough choice!" Ash stated. He inspected the three Pokémon closer, making Trip a bit annoyed. "Don't forget. I'm the one who gets to choose." Trip reminded.

"Don't worry! I get it!... But, if it was up to me... Huh. This would be a tough one!" Ash assured. Takeru chuckled at Ash's curiousity and energy. "What's so funny?" Ash asked, confused. "I've never met anyone who had this amount of energy than you." Takeru explained, chuckling. Ash sighed, smiling in a silly way.

Trip took out his camera and took a picture of the three starters, and made his decision. "I've decided. I'm choosing Snivy." Trip declared. The decision made Snivy stand proud. Tepig grew a bit annoyed, while Oshawott looked as if he became a stone in despair. "Okay! First of all, here's your very own Pokédex!" Juniper called, handing Trip a Unova Pokédex.

"Thanks, Professor!" Trip thanked. He activated his Pokédex and scanned Snivy. _"__Snivy, the Grass Snake Pokémon. Cool, calm, and collected, Snivy uses photosynthesis to collect energy with the leaf on its tail."_ Trip's Pokédex buzzed. Ash tried to peek of what the Unova Pokédex looked like.

However, Trip caught him and turned away, making Ash sigh. "And here are your Pokéballs! You can carry up to six Pokémon!" Juniper explained. She brought a small box of five empty Pokéballs. "Yeah. That's basic." Trip stated, taking the box. The aUnova professor then took out Snivy's Pokéball.

"And this is Snivy's Pokéball! Take good care of it!" Juniper replied. "Right. Alright, Snivy. So, let's get this journey started!" Trip called, returning Snivy to his Pokéball. Juniper smiled at Trip. "Have a great journey! Good luck!" Juniper called. "Thanks. Thanks for everything!" Trip thanked, bowing down to the Unova Professor.

Trip took a glance at Takeru. "Are you sure you're not coming?" Trip asked. "I'll think about it. If I do decide to take a journey, I'll be after you." Takeru explained. Trip made a small smile and nodded in acceptance. The dirty blonde haired boy then walked out of the lab, heading for his new journey. Ash grew excited as he ran out to go after Trip.

Riolu tugged onto Takeru's pants. _"Can't we go?"_ Riolu asked, smiling. Takeru shrugged as he walked out of the Lab to follow the two. As he and Riolu walked out of the lab, he saw Ash and Trip having a conversation with each other. "Hey, Trip! Going for Gym battles?" Ash asked. Trip smirked at that.

"That's basic. Pokémon trainers go around in different Gyms and tries to win eight badges. So, they can enter the Unova League." Trip explained. Ash grew amazed with that. "Really? That's just like back in Kanto!" Ash exclaimed. The Kanto trainer turned to Takeru at that. "So, Takeru! What about you? Are you entering the Unova League?" Ash asked.

Takeru blinked for a moment and folded his arms. "I haven't decided yet. But, I'll think about it when the time is right." Takeru answered. Riolu looked at Takeru curiously as he sighed. Just then, before anyone could react to it, a Pokémon made a cry out. "Pika Pi!" A Pokémon called out. The three trainers and Riolu turned to see a Pikachu running out of the lab.

The Electric Type Pokémon leapt into Ash's arms, who grew happy to see the Pokémon. "Pikachu! Done with your tests, huh?" Ash asked happily. "Pika!" Pikachu nodded. Trip grew surprised to see Pikachu with Ash. "Who's that Pokémon?" Trip asked, as he took out his Pokédex.

_"Pikachu, the Mouse Pokémon, and the evolved form of Pichu. Pikachu's tail is sometimes struck by lightning __as it raises it to check its surroundings."_ Trip's Pokédex buzzed. Trip narrowed his eyes as he put away his Pokédex and took pictures of Ash's Pikachu, making both Ash and Pikachu confused.

"What are you doing?" Ash asked. Trip glared at Ash as he explained the matter. "This is why we don't like people from the boonies. Listen up! A Pikachu in Unova is huge! It's really a big deal!" Trip explained, pointing to Ash. Takeru sighed as he rubbed the back of his head. "Trip, will you stop with the boonies part? You do realize that we don't know much about Kanto." Takeru explained.

Ash joined in the argument. "It's not a big deal! Pikachu is my number one partner and buddy!" Ash explained. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu agreed. Trip grew stunned, then gave a sneer. "Is it strong?" Trip asked. "Oh, you bet!" Ash answered, determined. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu agreed. "You wanna see?" Ash asked. Trip gave a smirk.

"Sure I do." Trip answered. He turned to Takeru. "Takeru, you wouldn't mind refereeing our battle?" Trip asked. Takeru grew stunned, but nodded. "Sure, but, are you sure you want to do this?" Takeru asked. _"Yeah, do you?"_ Riolu asked. Trip smiled and nodded. "I just want to see how strong this trainer is by coming from the boonies." Trip explained.

With that, Takeru agreed to referee the battle.

The three trainers and the two Pokémon headed towards a battlefield for Trip's first battle, and Ash's first battle in Unova. "Snivy, go get them now!" Trip called. The Grass Snake appeared from his Pokéball and was prepared to battle. "Sniv!" Snivy growled. "Pikachu! You ready for this?" Ash asked.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu agreed. Just then, Trip took out his camera and took more pictures for the battle's beginning. "Why are you always taking pictures?" Ash asked. "I'm recording my journey! And remember, this is Snivy's first battle!" Trip explained. Ash gave a smile to that. "And this is our first battle in the Unova region!" Ash exclaimed.

**Trip: Snivy VS Ash: Pikachu**

"Alright then! Battle begin!" Takeru called. "Alright then! We'll go first! Pikachu, use Quick Attack!" Ash called. Pikachu ran with a quick speed, charging towards Snivy. "How's that?" Ash asked, grinning. Snivy skidded on the ground, staying on his feet. "Snivy! Tackle!" Trip yelled.

The Grass Snake Pokémon dashed towards Pikachu in a quick speed as well! "Pikachu, dodge it quick!" Ash called. Pikachu dodged the Tackle Attack, that was thrown twice. "Nice one, Pikachu! Now, use Thunderbolt!" Ash called. Pikachu charged up some electricity and tied to launch the Electric Type attack.

However, the Attack didn't work, because the move didn't work. That caught Ash and Takeru in surprise. Snivy continued his Attack with Tackle, ramming into the Electric Mouse Pokémon. Pikachu skidded on the ground, staying on his feet. "Alright, Pikachu! Thunderbolt again!" Ash called. Pikachu once again tried to Attack, but it didn't work.

Pikachu panted as it was bewildered of why it didn't work. "Hey! What's wrong, Pikachu?" Ash called. _"What's going on? Pikachu can't use Thunderbolt?"_ Takeru thought, sweating. Trip grew unamused with this as he sighed. "You're really trying?" Trip asked, not impressed. Snivy grew unimpressed along.

"Coruse we are!... Argh... Pikachu! Use Volt Tackle!" Ash called. "Pikachu can use Volt Tackle!?" Takeru gasped. "_That's amazing!" _Riolu exclaimed. Pikachu ran and ran, trying to create a powerful move, but like Thunderbolt, it did nothing! Both Ash and Takeru grew surprised. "But why?" Ash asked, trying to figure why the moves weren't working.

_"First Thunderbolt, and Volt Tackle? What could be wrong?" _Takeru thought as he also tried to figure out why. "Brother? Why can't Pikachu use the Electric moves?" Riolu's asked. "That's what I'm trying to figure out..." Takeru answered. Pikachu began to pant from all the energy he tried to use for an Electric Type attack.

_"Something's wrong with Pikachu... But what!?"_ Ash thought, sweating. Trip begin to think that this was all a funny joke. "Okay, is this some kind of strategy? Calling moves that it can't even use?" Trip snickered, smiling in a taunting way. Ash gritted his teeth as he made another move. "Alright, Iron Tail!" Ash called.

Pikachu's tail glowed with iron as it used the move. This made Ash brighten up. "Ah! Just Electric Type moves!" Ash exclaimed. Pikachu began to land the Attack on the Grass Type Pokémon. "Dodge it, Snivy!" Trip called. Snivy quickly dodged Iron Tail, causing Ash to be surprised. Pikachu ran back to Ash as he waited for the next move.

Trip sneered as he began the new move. "Alright, Snivy! Use Leaf Tornado!" Trip shouted. Snivy began to spin, creating a green tornado, filled with leaves. "What move is that?" Ash asked. "Don't know it, do you?" Trip smirked. Then, he became serious. "Go, Snivy!" Trip yelled. Snivy threw the new move towards Pikachu, who sucked him in and dealed some damage to him!

"Ahhh! Pikachu!" Ash yelled out loud. Takeru and Riolu also covered their eyes as Snivy smashed Pikachu to the ground, hard with the powerful Grass Type move. As the dust cleared, Pikachu was seen lying down on the destroyed section of the battlefield, unconscious. "Um... Pikachu is unable to battle. Snivy wins. So the victor is Trip!" Takeru declared.

**Trip: Winner!**

Ash quickly ran over to Pikachu and picked him up. "Pikachu... Hey, Pikachu!" Ash called. "Our first win. I thought we synced pretty well in our first battle. I'm glad I chose you." Trip replied. He returned Snivy to his Pokéball, then smirked at Ash. Takeru and Riolu ran over to check on Pikachu. "Is Pikachu okay?" Takeru asked, sweating.

Ash made no sound as he got up and began to run back to the lab. "I think you better start over with the basics!" Trip smirked. Ash ignored Trop and ran back to the Lab. Takeru and Riolu could only stand and watch Ash run with his Electric Type. "So, Takeru. What did you think of our first battle?" Trip asked, walking to his friend.

"The battle was great. But, don't you think you overdone it?" Takeru asked. "What do you mean?" Trip asked. "I mean, as Ash battled, he must've knew that Pikachu could use the moves that Pikachu couldn't do right now... There must be something wrong with him..." Takeru explained.

"Whatever it is, it was our first win." Trip stated. He then began to leave. "If you decide to go on a journey, I'll be waiting." Trip called. Takeru nodded as Trip walked away, waving back to his childhood friend.

At the lab, as Takeru made it to the room, Prof. Juniper, a woman, Ash, and another professor was there, checking on Pikachu's stats. "Professor Juniper! So, something's really not right with Pikachu after all!" Ash called. Juniper checked the stats and explained the matter.

"It appears that Pikachu has suffered an electrical overload of some kind." Juniper explained. "Huh? Overload?" Ash repeated. "You mean the electricity that Pikachu has right now?" Takeru asked. "Right! All that electrical energy that Pikachu absorbed from the thunderstorm was too much." Juniper explained.

"And that would explain why Pikachu is not able to use any Electric Type moves." The man explained. "You must be Prof. Oak, right? My name is Takeru, sir." Takeru asked. "Ah, yes. Professor Juniper told me about you and your Riolu." Oak replied. Ash took a look at Pikachu. "No way... You mean Pikachu's not able to use Electric Type moves anymore?" Ash asked.

Takeru looked at Ash, who grew desperate to help his Electric friend. Suddenly, the stats began buzzing, in a malfunction! "What's going on?" Oak asked, surprised. Suddenly, Pikachu began to buzz with lost control of electricity! Pikachu began to grunt in pain as it tried to control his electricity.

"Pikachu!" Ash gasped. "Huh? Professor Oak! Look! That cloud!" Juniper called. Everyone turned to see the thunderstorm cloud near the lab. Takeru widened his eyes of the cloud. "It's the same cloud as before!" Oak stated.

Suddenly, a lightning bolt struck the satellite, with more negative electricty zapping into Pikachu's body! "Reboot the system quickly!" Juniper ordered. "Right!" The assistant nodded as he opened the doors to reboot the emergency system. Juniper turned back to the lighting cloud. "It couldn't be... Could it?" Juniper asked.

As Juniper asked, Takeru heard the same dark voice.

_"Thou art I... And I am thou... The strong desire... And the strong will... You have the potential... To save..."_ The voice rumbled darkly. Takeru widened his eyes, realizing that the voice was the same voice that came to his midddle during the first thunderstorm. "Could the source of those storms be... Zekrom? The legendary Pokémon?" Juniper asked.

"Zekrom?" Ash repeated. "Zekrom is quite a legend in these parts. From within its thunder clouds, Zekrom watches over people and Pokémon. And the lightning bolts are said to be... Judgements, up above, there are also pillars of the skies..." Juniper explained.

Suddenly, Pikachu screamed in pain as masses of electricity zapped into his body! "Pikachu!" Ash yelled out. Takeru widened his eyes as he trembled. "Brother... What's happening?" Riolu asked. Takeru didn't answer. For he know, the voice owas part of the reason why Pikachu was suffering at a time.

And so, both Takeru and Trip met Ash, with Trip at a cold condition. Trip and Ash battles, but Trp ends up winning, with Pikachu's sick condition. And now, the voice booms over Takeru, while Pikachu is being judged by Zekrom, the legendary Pokémon! What will happen in these events? Stay tuned for some more!

To be continued...

**Takeru's Team:**

**Riolu: (M): (Force Palm, Blaze Kick, ThunderPunch, Dig)**


	3. The Journey Begins!

**Chapter 3: The Journey Begins!**

Last time on "Pokémon Unova Journey", Takeru and Trip were waiting inside Prof. Juniper's lab in order to wait for her arrival. As soon as she came, she came with a trainer from Kanto named Ash. Trip instantly insulted Ash for coming from Kanto, as he chose Snivy for his partner.

After asking Takeru about his decision, Trip left, with Ash following him, with Pikachu as well. Ash challenged Trip to a battle, as their first battle in Unova, while Trip's first battle started as a trainer. Pikachu fought hard, but for some reason, wasn't able to use any Electric Type moves. Snivy finished Pikachu off with a Leaf Tornado Attack, winning Trip the battle.

Ash headed back to the lab with Takeru, to see what happened to Pikachu. However, during that, a lightning storm came by again, making Pikachu suffer from the negative electric energy, and with Takeru hearing the dark voice again, a chance that it was coming from Zekrom, the legendary Pokémon of Unova.

What could happen in these events?

"Pikkkaaaa!" Pikachu screamed as negative electricity poured into his body! "Pikachu! No, Pikachu!" Ash yelled out loud. _"Hang in there, Pikachu!"_ Riolu called, although no one but Takeru understood. "Isn't there any way to stop this!?" Takeru called out. "We're trying as fast as we can!" Juniper called.

Juniper and Oak typed up the computer to get the system back online, until the system began to static. "Ah! The system! It's on overload! The lab could be destroyed!" Juniper gasped. Prof. Oak looked back at the clouds. "All because of that lightning!? Could the legendary Pokémon from the Unova region really may be behind all of this!?" Oak exclaimed.

Just then, as Pikachu was being shocked, Takeru heard the voice again. _"My judgement is done... Farewell..." _The dark voice boomed. Then, Takeru heard a loud roar as the clouds began to fade away. Pikachu fell on his stomach, still screaming in pain. "Pikachu! Hang in there!" Ash yelled.

He ran to grab Pikachu, but was shocked along! "Ahhhhh!" Ash screamed. Both Takeru and Riolu widened their eyes to this. "What are you doing!?" Takeru yelled angrily. He ran for the Kanto trainer, only to be pushed back by the trainer as Ash and Pikachu separated.

Both Takeru and Ash landed on their backs on the ground, with Ash on top of Takeru. Pikachu groaned as it was still sparkling a little.

Suddenly, the power was up again, as if nothing had happened to it! "We're back online!?" Juniper stated, surprised. Ash groaned as Takeru held his head, shaking it. Ash's mom ran over to check her son. "Ash dear! Are you okay!?" Ash's mom asked, worried about her son. To Takeru's surprise, an Oshawott came by to see Ash.

"Oshawott! Oshawott!" The Sea Otter Pokémon called. Ash sat up as he gave a small smile. "I'm okay... But, where's Takeru?" Ash asked. "You're... Sitting on me..." Takeru groaned. Ash gasped and got off as Takeru slowly sat up. "Oops! Sorry." Ash apologized. Then, Ash gasped as he looked at his Electric Type Pokémon.

"Wait! What about Pikachu!?" Ash called. As Ash called, Pikachu opened his eyes and got up, blinking several times before smiling. "Pika!" Pikachu exclaimed. He began to charge some electricity in his tail. Ash grinned happily as he stood up straight. "Pikachu! Does that mean you're back to normal?" Ash asked. "Pikachu!" Pikachu exclaimed, smiling.

"Alright! Now, use Thunderbolt on me!" Ash called. Pikachu immediately charged up some electricity as he shot it towards Ash! Ash grunted as he was shocked by the Electric Type move. "Whoa... Nice shot! Volt Tackle, go!" Ash yelled.

Pikachu dashed, as electricity surrounded his body. Pikachu slammed into Ash into a wall, causing the Kanto trainer to collapse! "Oh my goodness!" Ash's mom gasped in surprise. "Does this always happen?" Takeru asked, looking at the woman. Ash's mom gave a sad smile and giggled.

"When it comes to those two, yes!" Ash's mom answered. "Geez..." Takeru muttered, brushing the dust away from his jacket sleeve. _"Big brother... Are you okay?"_ Riolu asked, running to him. "Y-Yeah. I'm fine, Riolu. Just a little bump, that's all." Takeru assured, to which Riolu accepted.

Everyone headed outside to the entrance of the lab to see that it was evening outside. "You really think it was Zekrom's doing? The legendary Pokémon?" Juniper asked. She looked around if the thunderstorm was still around or not. "I'd say this calls for some additional research!" Oak suggested.

Ash took some steps and smiled. He gazed at the sunset that was shining bright. Takeru stood besides him as he gave a small smile to the sunset as well. "When it comes to Pokémon in the Unova region, there's so much stuff I don't know!" Ash explained. Ash turned to Pikachu.

"You know what I mean, buddy?" Ash asked. "Pika!" Pikachu agreed. Takeru looked at the two and smiled. This reminded him of a time when he and Riolu were having their time together. _"Big brother. What are you thinking about?" _Riolu asked, tugging on his jeans. Takeru looked at the Emanation Pokémon and smiled.

"I've made my decision. Riolu, we're going to travel around Unova for some excitement." Takeru decided. The decision made Riolu very excited as he began to wag his tail. _"Does that mean... We're going to go on a journey?!"_ Riolu asked happily. "That's right, little buddy." Takeru answered, nodding.

* * *

"So, you've finally decided, Takeru?" Prof. Oak asked. Takeru, Ash, Prof. Oak and Ash's mom were having dinner together as Takeru spoke up about his decision. "That's right. After seeing Pikachu and Ash together, I wondered what having a journey is like... And also, my best friend is out there, hoping to be better than me." Takeru explained.

"I see... Ha ha." Oak chuckled. Takeru looked at the Kanto professor in a funny way. "What's so funny, Professor?" Takeru asked. "Nothing. It's just that... Your mother and father would've been proud if they heard that you decided to go on a journey." Oak explained.

"What do you know about my parents?" Takeru asked, looking down at his food. "I've met your father, of course. Minato Yamada, correct? Your father looked forward for you to become a Pokémon Trainer if you were born." Oak explained. Takeru smiled for a split second, then sighed. _"Big brother?"_ Riolu asked, looking at his trainer.

Takeru looked at Riolu and rubbed his head. "It's nothing." Takeru assured. "Well, I've decided my next journey would be right here as well!" Ash explained. Prof. Oak and Ash's mom looked at Ash in surprise. "For sure! I want to meet all the Pokémon from Unova! And I'll make a bunch of new friends, too!" Ash explained. "Pika!" Pikachu agreed.

"Of course!" Ash's mom giggled. Both Ash and Takeru looked at the woman in surprise. "I knew it, Ash. No one knows you better than me!" Ash's mom giggled. "I presume that the two of you will be visiting all of the Pokémon Gyms?" Oak asked. "That's basic, like Trip says. Trainers that begin their journey mostly do those things." Takeru stated.

"Yeah! That's the plan! I'm gonna go meet and beat the Gym Leaders! Get eight badges, and then, win the Unova League!" Ash decided, feeling determined. "Well! Then, I'll continue to look after your Pokémon back at my lab! Don't worry about a thing!" Prof. Oak chuckled. "Other Pokémon?" Takeru asked. Ash turned to Takeru with a smile.

"Yeah! I caught a bunch of Pokémon during my travels in the other regions!" Ash exclaimed. That startled Takeru a bit as he looked at Riolu, who was surprised as well. "Oh wow. I'm impressed." Takeru admitted. _"Me too..."_ Riolu agreed along. "Pikachu! Take good care of Ash!" Ash's mom called.

"Pika Pika!" Pikachu replied with a smile. The mother then turned to Takeru as well. "I'm sorry that this may be a bother... But... I hope that you will look after Ash for me as well." Ash's mom replied, giving a sad smile. Takeru blushed lightly as he rubbed the back of his head. "I'll try, Mrs. Ketchum." Takeru replied.

"C'mon, Mom!" Ash groaned, feeling embarrassed. "And call us from time to time! I'll look forward hearing about the new Pokémon you've met! How does that sound?" Oak replied. "You've got it!" Ash agreed. "Pika Pikachu!" Pikachu agreed, with some determination in him as well.

Later, after dinner, Ash and Takeru went to see the Unova Professor. Juniper was thrilled to hear that Takeru was finally going on a journey. "So, you two. Here's your Pokédex and Pokéballs!" Prof. Juniper replied, handing some Pokéballs and the two Pokédexes to the two trainers. "Thanks, Professor!" Ash thanked.

"Yes. Thanks." Takeru agreed, taking his own Pokédex. "The nearest Pokémon Gym, from where we are is in Striaton City. So, I would think that the best thing to do is to challenge the Striaton Gym first!" Juniper suggested. "Right. That's where we'll go, then." Takeru replied in agreement.

"You know, you might bump into Trip! He's left here ahead of the two of you!" Juniper reminded. The thought of Trip flashed into Ash's memories as he remembered that he lost to Trip. "Next time I battle him, I'll win for sure!" Ash assured. "That is, if he accepts your challenge again." Takeru sighed. "Come on! He will! Right, Pikachu?" Ash promised.

"Pika Pika!" Pikachu agreed. Takeru sighed and smiled at the two. Ash then had an idea in his mind and turned to Takeru. "Hey, Takeru! If you don't mind, could we battle tomorrow?" Ash asked, feeling excited. The sudden request startled both Takeru and Riolu. "A battle?" Takeru repeated, hoping that he didn't heard incorrectly.

"Yeah! I really want to see what you and your Riolu are like! So, how about it?" Ash asked, his eyes glinting with hope. The Nuvema boy took a look at Riolu, who nodded immediately. With this, Takeru smiled and nodded. "Alright then, Ash. Tomorrow, we'll have our battle." Takeru agreed. "Sweet!" Ash exclaimed. "Pikachu!" Pikachu followed along.

The next morning, Takeru planned to have their battle somewhere at the route, which Ash agreed. The two professors, along with Ash's mom came to say their goodbyes. "Where's your handkerchief? Are your clothes packed? Do you have clean underwear?" Ash's mom asked, hoping that Ash didn't forget something.

"Don't worry, Mom! I'm not a little kid!" Ash laughed. "There's a Pokémon Center on the other side of the forest. Stop by there if you need help!" Prof. Juniper suggested. "Right! See you later!" Ash called. He pulled Takeru's hand, which he grew surprised. "C'mon! Let's go!" Ash called. "A-Alright... But, could you slow down!?" Takeru pleaded. "Nope!" Ash joked.

"Take care, Ash! And be safe!" Ash's mom called. "Ash! Good luck! And have fun! You too, Takeru!" Prof. Oak called.

Takeru managed to slow down Ash along the way as they walked in Route 1. "Geez... You don't have running energy, huh?" Ash teased. "You'll probably be breathless if you run too much." Takeru muttered. Then, Ash stopped him and turned to face the Nuvema boy. "So, about our battle?" Ash asked.

Takeru smirked as Riolu ran in front of him. "We haven't forgotten, Ash!" Takeru reminded. "Alright! Pikachu! Let's show them how it's done!" Ash called. "Pikachu!" Pikachu agreed. Pikachu ran into the field as the two trainers and their two Pokémon faced each other.

**Ash: Pikachu VS Takeru: Riolu**

"We'll go first! Pikachu! Use Thunderbolt!" Ash called. Pikachu charged up some electricity as he launched the Attack towards Riolu. Takeru only gave a small smirk as he gave the order. "Use ThunderPunch!" Takeru called. Ash and Pikachu grew surprised to hear the move. "Riolu can use ThunderPunch!?" Ash gasped.

Riolu's right fist crackled in electricity as it absorbed the Thunderbolt, boosting ThunderPunch's power! "Now! Hit it to Pikachu!" Takeru called. Riolu dashed and brought his sparkling fist to Pikachu's cheek, sending the Electric Mouse flying in the air! "Oh no, Pikachu!" Ash gasped.

"Now, Riolu! Use Blaze Kick!" Takeru shouted. That made Ash even more surprised. "Riolu can also use Blaze Kick!? Oh man! Pikachu! Iron Tail!" Ash shouted. "Go, Riolu!" Takeru called. _"Here I come!"_ Riolu shouted. His left foot began to crackle in fire as it met with Pikachu's Iron Tail Attack.

"Got you now! Pikachu! Use Thunderbolt!" Ash called. "Dodge it, Riolu! Then, Dig!" Takeru called. Ash clutched his head, not believing of what he's hearing. "ThunderPunch, Blaze Kick, and Dig!? How many moves Riolu can use!?" Ash yelled out loud. "Plenty, obviously! Go!" Takeru called.

"Pikachu! Distract Riolu with your speed!" Ash yelled. Pikachu began to run around to prevent from getting hit from Dig. _"Using speed to catch Riolu off guard, huh? Well, it's pointless!"_ Takeru thought, grinning. As Pikachu ran, Riolu punched Pikachu in the air, much to Ash and Pikachu's surprise. "No! Pikachu!" Ash yelled.

Both Riolu and Pikachu landed on the ground, with Pikachu panting. "Alright then! Pikachu! Use Volt Tackle!" Ash called. Pikachu charged electricity in his body as he began to run towards Riolu, with Riolu growing surprised. _"What now, brother?"_ Riolu asked, sweating. "Force Palm, Riolu!" Takeru yelled.

With that, Riolu nodded and dashed with his focused palm. Volt Tackle and Force Palm met, creating an explosion. Pikachu and Riolu skidded to their trainers as they panted with exhaustion. "We're not done yet! Pikachu! Use Quick Attack!" Ash called. "Dodge, then Dig!" Takeru called.

As Pikachu tried to hit Riolu, the Emanation Pokémon dug underground again and bashed Pikachu into the air. "Ah!" Ash shouted out. "Wrap this up with Blaze Kick!" Takeru yelled. Riolu leapt into the air, followed Pikachu, and smashed the Electric Type to the ground. "No! Pikachu!" Ash yelled.

As the dust cleared, Pikachu was groaning in pain, fainted. "Looks like we win, Ash." Takeru smirked, with the sweating Riolu pumping his fist in the air. "Aw man!" Ash groaned, unhappy about his second loss in the Unova region.

**Takeru: Winner!**

Takeru went over to the Kanto trainer and handed him a Sitrus Berry. "Give this to Pikachu. I guess we overdone it in our battle..." Takeru replied, rubbing the back of his head. "Did I hit Pikachu too hard?" Riolu asked, rubbing the back of his head as well. "No, it was fun, actually. And thanks." Ash thanked, accepting the berry.

Just then, there was a rustle on the bushes. Ash and Pikachu recovered from their loss immediately as they looked at the bushes. Something bushy was peeking out of the bushes. "A Pokémon?" Ash guessed. He took out his Pokédex to scan the unknown Pokémon.

_"Axew, the Tusk Pokémon. Axew marks its territory by making scratch marks on trees with its tusks, which regrow if they fall out."_ Ash's Pokédex buzzed. Takeru looked closer at the bushes. "Forget it, Ash. That looks nothing like an Axew in those bushes." Takeru muttered, narrowing his eyes at the bushy object.

"But still! You never known until you find out!" Ash reminded. He took out a Pokéball and began to throw it. "Now! Go, Pokéball!" Ash called. He threw the ball at the bushy object, which bounced off the object. There was an additional thing, which it said, "Ouch!" Ash grew shocked of what it said. "Ouch!?" Ash repeated in surprise.

Both Takeru and Riolu face palmed as they groaned. "I thought so..." Takeru groaned. "_It wasn't an Axew." _Riolu muttered. A person popped out of the bushes and became angry. "Okay! What was that for!?" The girl snapped. Ash raised his hands up in defense. "See, I was only trying to catch a Pokémon..." Ash explained.

The girl narrowed her eyes as she crept closer to Takeru and Ash as she looked at the two. "Oh. So what you're really telling is that I look like a Pokémon!" The girl sneered. "Tell me, your Pokédex, is his cute face in there!? Well, is it?!" The girl snapped. "No, of course there isn't. That's what I had in mind." Takeru muttered, face palming.

"Uh... Yeah! Like he said, so... Sorry?" Ash stammered. The girl stopped with the creepy face and sighed. "Fine. I accept your apology. But you've got a long way to go to be a trainer if you think that I looked like a Pokémon. Right, Axew?" The girl asked. With that, an Axew popped out of her hair, as it munched on a berry.

"Wow! That's where it was!" Ash exclaimed, feeling surprised. "No wonder the Pokédex scanned that it was Axew..." Takeru replied, sighing. The girl took a short look at Takeru, before shrieking. "Wow! No way! You're that guy! The son of that famous researcher, right!? Minato Yamada!?" The girl shrieked, feeling excited.

"Right... I'm his son, Takeru." Takeru replied, smiling a little. _"That's big bro, alright." _Riolu agreed. Just then, the girl jumped to see both Pikahu and Riolu. "Whoa! No way! Pikachu and Riolu!? You two got to be the sweetest thing ever! So cute!" The girl shrieked happily. She then touched Riolu's ear and one of Pikachu's red cheeks.

"And those jiggly cheeks! And these floppy ears! You can't find anything jiggly of floppy in Unova!" The girl exclaimed, giggling. _"Hey! Please stop! That tickles!"_ Riolu pleaded, squirming to get out. He managed to finally get out of the girl's grasp as he ran and hid behind Takeru.

Both Ash and Takeru blinked as they stared at the squealing girl. She held up Pikachu as she smiled happily. "Well, I for one thing is dying to know what a Pikachu and a Riolu is doing here! Come on! Tell me, tell me, tell me!" The girl exclaimed. "You see, we're from Pallet Town in the Kanto region!" Ash explained.

"And I've met Riolu in Nuvema Town, two years ago." Takeru explained. "Pallet Town? Nuvema Town?" The girl repeated. "Yeah! I'm Ash! And I want to enter the Unova League!" Ash explained. "Again, I'm Takeru. And I'm also looking forward to enter the Unova League." Takeru explained. _"That's right!" _Riolu agreed.

"Isn't that nice? It's nice to meet you! I'm Iris!" Iris replied. At the moment, Pikachu unleashed a Thunderbolt on the Iris! "Wow! Man! That tickles!" Iris squealed as she fainted by the shock she had from Thunderbolt. Ash laughed nervously while Takeru rubbed the back of his head. Riolu kept holding onto Takeru's left leg.

Later, Iris recovered from the Attack while Pikachu folded his arms in annoyance. Ash, Takeru, and Iris sat down in the grassy area, where they began their conversation. "Uh... Sorry about that... So, Ash. Takeru. Wasn't there a thunderstorm in Nuvema Town yesterday?" Iris asked.

"Sure was. Professor Juniper said that Zekrom was the one who caused all that lightning." Ash explained. With the word of Zekrom, Iris immediately grew excited. "No way! Zekrom, the legendary Pokémon caused it!? Please! I want to know everything!" Iris pleaded. "Well, for starters..." Takeru started.

But then, he was interrupted by Pikachu, who pointed out a Pokémon near the bushes. Everyone turned to see a Spring Deerling running to where its group were. "The Pokémon from yesterday!" Ash exclaimed, feeling excited. With that, he and Pikachu began to run towards the Deerling, leaving Iris and Takeru behind. "Hey! Wait up!" Iris called. "Slow down, Ash!" Takeru called.

* * *

Later, as Iris and Takeru caught up to Ash, he was checking on a group of Deerling. One of them was drinking from the lake. "Wow..." Ash replied, taking out his Pokédex. _"Deerling, the Season Pokémon. With the change of each season, Deerling's appearance changes as well."_ Ash's Pokédex buzzed.

"First time seeing a Deerling, Ash?" Takeru asked. "Yeah! And they look awesome!" Ash exclaimed. He ran out fo the bushes to reveal himself. Ash took out a Pokéball. "Let's catch a Pokémon!" Ash called. As he threw the ball, it actually bounced off of Deerling! "You don't get it! You act like a little kid! If you want to catch it, you've got to battle it!" Iris explained.

Takeru sighed as he rubbed the back of his head. "Haven't you experienced this before?" Takeru asked. "Uh... Right! I knew that! Come on, Pikachu!" Ash called. "Pikachu!" Pikachu agreed. But, at the minute, one of the Deerlings called to the others, causing all of them to run away!

"Hey! Wait up!" Ash called. "Pika!" Pikachu called. Just then, there was a rumble. Everyone turned to see a group of Patrats running to their way! They all passed Ash and Pikachu, causing them to spin and grow dizzy. "Ahhhh! Okay... I give... Who was that Pokémon anyway?" Ash groaned as he and Pikachu fainted on the ground with dizziness.

Takeru face palmed again as he explained with Iris. "It was a Patrat." The two said together. Iris then gave a sigh. "You are a little kid." Iris muttered. "Ax Axew!" Axew agreed. Just then, there was another rustle on the bushes. Iris and Takeru looked down to see a small Pokémon that looked like a yellow mite.

"Oh wow! It's a Joltik! What a cutie!" Iris squealed. Takeru took out his Pokédex to scan Joltik. _"Joltik, the Attaching Pokémon. Joltik cling to larger Pokémon, and absorb static electricity, storing the energy in a special pouch." _Takeru's Pokédex buzzed. "Alright then. Should we make Joltik our first friend, Riolu?" Takeru asked. _"Yes! A new friend!" _Riolu agreed, excited.

"Here goes! Riolu, use Dig!" Takeru called. Riolu dug underground, making the wild Joltik look around to see if Joltik was around. It then took the surprise Attack from underground. "Now, let's try Blaze Kick!" Takeru yelled. Riolu slammed the Attaching Pokémon to the ground, causing it to squeal in pain.

Joltik slowly recovered as it shot Electroweb! "Dodge it, Riolu! Then, use Force Palm!" Takeru shouted. Riolu dodged the move as he countered with Force Palm, causing Joltik to faint! "Okay... Go, Pokéball!" Takeru called, throwing the ball at the fainted Joltik. The ball captured Joltik. The Pokéball shook several times before stopping.

Takeru picked up the Pokéball and looked at it with a smile. "Welcome to the team, Joltik." Takeru whispered. "That was amazing! Those moves were so cool!" Iris squealed in excitement. "Ha ha... I guess..." Takeru chuckled, pocketing the ball in his Pokéball section of his backpack.

Ash groaned as he got up. "Uh... What happened?" Ash asked, looking around. Both Takeru and Iris grew surprised with Ash. "You didn't see it? What a kid..." Iris groaned as she sighed.

Ash and Takeru so far made their first steps into their new journey, hoping to achieve their dreams of entering the Unova League. They meet Iris and her Axew along the way, with Takeru capturing Joltik. Will Ash be able to catch his first Unova Pokémon soon? Stay tuned to find out!

To be continued...

**Takeru's Team:**

**Riolu: (M): (Dig, Force Palm, Blaze Kick, ThunderPunch)**

**Joltik: (M): (Leech Life, Sting Shot, Electroweb, Electro Ball)**


	4. Team Rocket Shows Up!

**Chapter 4: Team Rocket Shows Up!**

Last time on "Pokémon Unova Journey", Takeru have made his decision of planning to enter the Unova League while getting eight Gym Badges from Unova. Pikachu has recovered from the Zekrom incident and is back to its original self. Ash asked Takeru for a battle while they travel, which Takeru accepted.

They began their journey while walking in Route 1. On the route, they had their battle, which made quite a surprise to Ash when he discovered Riolu's new moves. Takeru won the battle in ease, which made Ash even more determined to get stronger in Unova. They met Iris, when Ash accidentally thought that Iris was an Axew.

Iris wanted to know more about the thunderstorm that happened in Nuvema Town, until Ash tried to catch a Deerling, but failed. Takeru managed to catch his first Pokémon, which was a Joltik. That's when Ash recovered, thinking that he had to catch a Pokémon of his own now. What would Ash catch first in Unova?

"So, you've caught a Joltik, then?" Ash asked. "Right. I say that he's pretty decent." Takeru explained. The two boys were picking apples from the tree, with Riolu helping along. Joltik perched himself on Takeru's head, feeling comfortable there. "Wonder if we can eat these..." Ash wondered.

Takeru suddenly stepped out of the way, with Ash growing curious, until dozens of apples fell on top of both Ash and Pikachu! Iris landed on the ground, sighing. "Come and get it! Dinner!" Iris called. "I'm right here, Iris." Takeru muttered. Iris turned, surprised that Takeru was right behind her. "Oh... Uh, where's Ash?" Iris asked. "Down here..." Ash groaned.

The two looked down to see Ash and Pikacu buried in dozens of apples. "Sorry about that..." Iris apologized.

* * *

Later, it was night as both Ash and Takeru explained about the thunderstorm incident in Nuvema Town. "I see. So, Pikachu had a really day because of Zekrom." Iris replied, understanding the early problem. They munched on the apples that Iris had picked for them. "Pikachu must've stored up and then let out its electricity! Because of all the intense stuff Zekrom had been up to!" Ash explained.

"Well, that's what the Professor says in the lab." Takeru replied, biting on his apple. "Well, Zekrom is a legendary Pokémon, you know." Iris stated. She got up from the tree branch and looked up at the night sky in determination. "I'd loved to meet Zekrom someday! I can't wait to meet Zekrom!" Iris exclaimed. "Axew!" Axew agreed.

"Well, there always will be a chance that we'll meet the Pokémon someday..." Takeru assured. He recalled of what Zekrom's voice said to him. "Thou art I... And I am thou... The strong desire... And the strong will... You have the potential..." Takeru whispered to himself.

"What was that, Takeru?" Ash asked, looking at the Nuvema boy. Takeru froze up then rubbed the back of his head. "Nothing. I was thinking about yesterday..." Takeru lied. Ash then looked at his apple. "Unova's got lots of cool Pokémon. Not just Zekrom! I'll meet them all!" Ash promised.

"We will meet them all. What do you think, Ash?" Takeru corrected. _"Yeah! You're not the only one!" _Riolu agreed. "Jolt!" Joltik replied. Ash gave a big grin. "Of course! I can't be the only one who wants to see all of Unova's Pokémon!" Ash chuckled. He looked up at Iris. "Iris?" Ash called. Takeru also looked up to see Iris snoring with Axew, fast asleep.

Ash, Takeru, Pikachu, Riolu, and Joltik sighed as they all looked up at the sky. "That Unova sky is full of stars! From now on, our journey will be under this sky!" Ash stated. Suddenly, both Joltik and Pikachu spotted a shooting star crossing the sky! "A shooting star! That's great! Good luck!" Ash stated.

Ash got up as he looked at his Electric Pokémon. "Pikachu, don't you feel lucky, too?" Ash asked. "Pikachu!" Pikachu agreed. Then, he turned to the Nuvema boy. "What about you, Takeru... Huh?" Ash started, then stopped. Takeru and Riolu were already fast asleep, with Riolu cuddling onto Takeru's chest. Joltik looked at the two curiously.

It then jumped onto Takeru's head and fell asleep there. Ash sweat dropped, then smiled sadly. With that, the two went for their sleep as well. No one seemed to notice that Oshawott was looking at the two. "Osha?" Oshawott whispered, so that no one would be awakened.

* * *

The next morning, both Ash and Takeru discovered that Iris already left somewhere. They walked around in the route to find them. "Iris left early... Where do you think she could've gone?" Ash asked. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu agreed. "She might've gone ahead of us, maybe for her own Gym battles, maybe?" Takeru suggested.

"Maybe so..." Ash agreed, then thinking about it. He then shook his head. "Well, no big deal! It's a brand new day for us!" Ash exclaimed. Takeru shrugged as he looked around. Just the, the two trainers and their Pokémon heard a cry as they all looked up to see a wild Pidove flying by! "Whoa! What's that?" Ash asked, checking his Pokédex.

_"Pidove, the Tiny Pigeon Pokémon. A Pidove's flock cooing can get extremely noisy. Pidove is not attracted to shiny objects."_ Ash's Pokédex buzzed. As Ash put his device away, he grew excited. "Cool! A Pidove! Let's go, Pikachu!" Ash called. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu agreed. The two began to run after the Pidove.

"Ash! Pikachu! Wait up!" Takeru called. _"Please, wait for us!" _Riolu pleaded. The two ran after their friends to catch up to them. Later, they caught up with Ash and Pikachu as they all looked at the flock of Pidove. Ash pointed out to the one that was distant to the others. "Let's battle that one!" Ash called. "Pikachu!" Pikachu agreed.

As Pikachu faced the Tiny Pigeon Pokémon, Pidove got ready for the battle. "Alright! Pikachu, use Thunderbolt, now!" Ash called. Pikachu charged up some electricity and shot it at the Flying Type Pokémon. The move shocked Pidove as it fell down, unconscious. Takeru and Riolu were amazed.

"And they did it with one hit!" Takeru replied, amazed. _"That's amazing!"_ Riolu exclaimed, with his eyes glittering with light. Ash grinned as he took out one of his Pokéball. "Alright! And now, go Poké- Wah!" Ash started, then stopped. Takeru looked up to see that the flock is stopping Ash from catching their friend.

The wild Pidoves attacked with Air Cutter, Air Slash, and Gust, causing Ash and Pikachu to dodge them all. That gave the fainted Pidove the time to recover and make its escape. The other Pidove followed as they all flew away, leaving Ash and Pikachu panting and groaning. Both Takeru and Riolu sweat dropped with this reaction.

Suddenly, Takeru noticed a lone Pidove chirping right behind them. Ash didn't notice, due to him being exhausted and all. "Well then. Shall we catch ourselves a third friend, Riolu?" Takeru asked. _"Sure thing!"_ Riolu agreed, nodding with a smile. Pidove seemed to understand the concept as it made a battle stance.

Riolu made a battle stance as well as the battle started. "We'll go first! Riolu, use Blaze Kick!" Takeru called. Riolu leapt in the air and slammed his foot down on the Pidove, causing it to fall on the ground. Pidove shook its feathers and countered with Quick Attack. "Dodge, then use ThunderPunch!" Takeru yelled.

As Tiolu dodged the speedy move, he punched the Pidove's stomach, causing it to squeal in pain and to send it flying in the air. Pidove slowly recovered as it regained its balance in flying. "Persistent, are we? I like that kind of Pokémon!" Takeru complimented. _"Come on! Give me some more!"_ Riolu grunted, motioning Pidove to bring it on.

Pidove responded back with a chirp and dove down, using Aerial Ace. "Counter it with Force Palm, Riolu!" Takeru called. Riolu charged at the diving Pidove and they both struck their attacks together. The two moves exploded, sending both Pokémon to skid on the ground. Pidove fell down in exhaustion as Takeru saw his chance.

"Alright. Go, Pokéball!" Takeru called. He threw the ball at the panting Flying Type. The Pokéball sucked the Tiny Pigeon Pokémon inside. As the ball closed, it shook some several times before stopping. It proved that Takeru had caught Pidove. "Alright! Pidove! Welcome to the team!" Takeru exclaimed, looking at Pidove's Pokéball.

He turned to see Ash and Pikachu still panting from the attacks that the flock had given them. "Pikachu, you okay?" Ash asked, panting. "Pikachu." Pikachu responded with a nod. Then, Ash got his positive attitude back as he held the empty Pokéball. "Guess it's never easy, isn't it?" Ash asked. "So, you haven't noticed my capturing?" Takeru asked.

Both Ash and Pikachu grew startled to see Takeru and a Riolu behind them. "When did you get here, Takeru?" Ash asked. Both Takeru and Riolu fell, angered that they haven't noticed them. "Are you kidding!? I watched you try to catch Pidove, and I caught my own, and you haven't noticed us at all!?" Takeru snapped.

_"You never noticed!?"_ Riolu snapped along. Both Ash and Pikachu raised their hands up in defense as they laughed nervously. "Sorry, Takeru. Riolu." Ash apologized. "Pika Pi." Pikachu apologized along. Takeru and Riolu sighed as they rubbed the back of their head. "It's fine. Just forget about it." Takeru muttered.

Adter the two forgave Ash and Pikachu, they heard another chirp. Behind them was another Pidove, walking around alone, rather than going with its flock! "One more! Let's get it this time!" Ash called. "Pikachu!" Pikachu agreed. Pidove hopped to face Ash and Pikachu. "Pikachu! Use Quick Attack!" Ash called.

Pikachu dashed and bashed into Pidove. Pidove chirped in pain as it shook off the blow it had from Quick Attack. "Alright! Now, Iron Tail!" Ash called. Pikachu leapt in the air and smashed Pidove to the ground with the Steel Type move. Takeru placed his chin on his hand, in thought. "That Pidove seems tougher than the one Ash fought." Takeru replied.

_"I'll give the Pidove that."_ Riolu, muttered, also noticing the Pidove's endurance. Pidove tried to get up as Ash saw his chance. "Okay! Now's the time! Go, Pokéball!" Ash called. He threw the empty Pokéball at the Tiny Pigeon Pokémon. Pidove was sucked inside and in the Pokéball.

The ball shook for a few moments, until it opened, revealing Pidove once again! "Oh man! And I almost had it, too!" Ash complained. Pidove then began its Attack with Gust, blowing strong wind to Ash and Pikachu. "It's Gust! Hang on, Pikachu!" Ash called. Pikachu grunted as he held his grip tight on the ground.

Pidove then struck with Quick Attack. "Oh no! That was Quick Attack!" Ash gasped. Then, Pidove sent some sharp air at Pikachu, causing the Electric Type to take some damage. "That was Air Cutter!" Ash stated. Pidove then began to use Quick Attack again! "Here it comes again!" Takeru warned. "Dodge, Pikachu!" Ash called.

Pikachu recovered and dodged out of the way, causing Pidoveto hit the tree instead. Pidove slid down on the ground, groaning from the damage it had five to itself. "Alright! Thunderbolt, now!" Ash yelled. Pikachu shot the Electric Type move at the groaning Pidove, shocking it and causing Pidove to faint.

Ash turned his hat backwards and took out another Pokéball. "This is it! Go, Pokéball!" Ash called. He threw his second empty Pokéball at Pidove, making it go inside. The ball shook for a few moments, before stopping. Ash blinked for a few seconds, before growing excited. "Yes! My first Unova region Pokémon! I've caught a Pidove!" Ash called.

He raised the Pokéball in the air in triumph. "Pi Pikachu!" Pikachu exclaimed, excited about having a new friend as well. Ash held Pikachu in the air as they celebrated together for catching their first Unova Pokémon. Takeru could only smile as he remembered he was like that with Riolu when they won their first trainer battle together.

Ash and Pikachu stopped to see Iris coming by. "Whoa! You're that excited about catching a little Pidove? What a kid." Iris sighed. Axew popped out of Iris' hair and took the apple that Iris had in her hand. "Of course I'm excited! I've got a new friend! It's also my first Unova region Pokémon!" Ash explained. Takeru walked up and smiled.

"I think we can accpeted that fact. Iris?" Takeru replied with a smile, before turning to Iris. "Well, on second thought, you and that Pidove might be a perfect match." Iris giggled. Riolu went over to Pikachu and Axew, as Axew made the apple turn to thirds. They all began to eat their pieces of apple together.

Suddenly, three mechanical hands grabbed them all and sent them toward the air! The three trainers turned in surprise as the hands dropped Pikachu, Riolu, and Axew into a glass box. Ash gasped as he turned to see who the culprits were. He recognized their faces immediately. "You guys again!?" Ash snapped.

The culprits then began their motto for the Unova region.

"A goes the question, so twerpish, indeed!"

"The answer to come is we feel the need!"

"Bringing the blinding white light of evil into the future!"

"Trusting the hammer of justice down onto the black darkness of the universe!"

"And carving our names in the Rock of Eternity!"

"The fiery destroyer, Jessie!"

"And with the thunderous emotions, I am James!"

"Wisest of the wise, Meowth!"

"Now better!"

"All in the name of Team Rocket!"

Iris grew confused of who the evil trio were. "Team Rocket? Who are they?" Iris asked. Before Ash could answer, Takeru made the answer. "The top criminals of the Kanto region, who steals Pokémon from people for their own doing!" Takeru answered. Ash grew surprised with Takeru's knowledge of Team Rocket, but went along with it as he nodded.

"Yeah! What he said!" Ash agreed. "Right! Evil deeds like stealing Pokémon are our stocking's rate, to rule the world! Because that's what we do!" Jessie sneered. "Axew is not yours! It's mine! Give it back!" Iris demanded. James sneered as he looked at the Tusk Pokémon. "I see! So this is Axew! Along with Riolu, that is." James sneered.

"And we claim Axew and Riolu as part of our takeover of the Unova region!" Meowth sneered. Both Takeru and Iris grew surprised with the talking Meowth. "Hold on, you're a Meowth! What are you doing here!? And forget about that! How can you talk!?" Iris shrieked. "Simple! I'm a genius! A Meowth that you can hear once in a lifetime!" Meowth sneered.

"If you are a genius, then you must be thinking like an idiot, acting as a bad guy." Takeru muttered. That made Meowth growl in anger. "What was that, you twerp!?" Meowth shrieked. Pikachu, Axew, and Riolu began to pound on the glass cage they were in. "Don't even bother! You're wasting your energy!" James chuckled.

"No way! Pidove! I choose you!" Ash called. "Joltik, I need your help!" Takeru called. Both Pidove and Joltik came out of their Pokéballs for battle. "Those twerps are using the region's Pokémon as well!" James commented. "You're up, Meowth! Show them not to mess with Pokémon from Kanto!" Jessie shrieked.

"Fury Swipes!" Meowth shrieked. "Joltik! Use Electro Ball!" Takeru called. "And Pidove! Use Gust!" Ash called. Joltik leapt in the air and shot the electricity ball at Meowth, while Pidove blew strong wind at Meowth! The two attacks made a hit, with Meowth yelling in pain. He landed next to Jessie and James as Jessie scoffed.

"Well, that could've been worse. Try my Pokémon on for size!" Jessie called, throwing out her Pokéball. It revealed a bat looking Pokémon that had heart nostrils shape on its nose. "What's that?" Ash asked. "It's a Woobat. A Flying and Psychic Type." Takeru answered. "A Woobat! That name's got a nice ring to it!" Meowth sneered.

"Nice ring is a good thing! Woobat! Use Air Slash!" Jessie called. Woobat threw out sharp air towards Pidove and Joltik. "Dodge it, quick!" Ash called. "You dodge as well, Joltik!" Takeru called. Both Pokémon dodged the attacks, ready for their orders. "Alright! Use Quick Attack!" Ash called. Pidove charged at Woobat for a speed attack.

"Joltik! Aid Pidove with Leech Life!" Takeru called. Both Joltik and Pidove shot their physical attacks towards Woobat. "Dodge, then use Gust!" Jessie called. Woobat dodged the two attacks and blew a strong wind at Pidove and Joltik, sending them smashing to the ground. Joltik and Pidove fainted!

"Pidove!" "Woobat!" Ash and Takeru called. They lifted their Pokémon up, with Ash trying to get Pidove back into battle. "Snap out of it!" Ash called. "Joltik, are you alright?" Takeru asked. Joltik sadly opened his eyes and looked at his trainer. "Jol..." Joltik replied. "You did great. Just take a nice rest." Takeru assured, returning Joltik to his Pokéball.

Jessie returned Woobat to her Pokéball and sneered. "This was a worthwhile catch. Of course, I caught it." Jessie smirked. "Our premier mission in Unova is complete! Off we go!" James sneered. He took out a briefcase and a balloon popped out of the briefcase. Ash, Takeru, and Iris turned to see the evil trio starting to fly away!

"Ah ha ha ha! Nice dealing with business with you, twerp!" Jessie laughed. The Team Rocket balloon began to fly away into the air. Pikachu, Axew, and Riolu called for their trainer as they were being carried off in the glass cage. The three trainers ran for their Pokémon. "I'm coming, Axew!" Iris called, jumping onto tree branches.

"Pikachu! Axew! I'll save you!" Ash called. "You're not getting away with Riolu!" Takeru yelled. He jumped onto branches as well, but faster than Iris. Ash climbed down up onto the tree and leapt in the air to grab the cage. "No way!" Iris gasped. Takeru leapt out of the tree and tried to grab onto the cage as well.

Unfortunately, Ash didn't make it, although Takeru did. "Ahhhh!" Ash screamed as he fell down towards the ground, hard. "Hey, Ash!" Takeru called. Iris landed on the ground and ran over to Ash. "You okay, Ash?" Iris asked. "Yeah..." Ash groaned as he got up. He looked around. "Wait, where's Takeru?" Ash asked.

"Up there!" Iris called. Both Ash and Iris looked up to see Takeru gripping onto the glass cage. Riolu ran over and touched the glass' surface. _"Big brother!"_ Riolu called. "Hang... On! I'll get you out, now!" Takeru grunted, holding onto the glass cage. Jessie and James grew annoyed with the Nuvema boy.

"Woobat, show this brat with Air Slash!" Jessie called. Woobat appeared from its Pokéball and shot its Attack towards Takeru. The Attack hit Takeru, causing him to grunt in pain. "Argh!... Not... Yet!" Takeru gasped. _"Brother!" _Riolu yelled in concern. "Takeru! Get out there! You're getting hurt!" Iris called. "N-No way! Riolu is very important to me! I can't... Let these fools get away with him!" Takeru stammered in pain.

"Takeru..." Ash whispered. "Argh! This twerp is really getting on our nerves! Woobat! Use Gust!" Jessie snapped. Woobat blew strong winds of gust, giving more pain to Takeru. "Oh no! If Takeru keeps this up, he'll be severly injured!" Iris screeched.

Just then, a familiar Pokémon came by for help. "Oshawott!?" Ash called. Oshawott responded by throwing his scalchop at the balloon. The balloon popped with the evil trio screamed, as their balloon began to fall down. The glass cage shattered, as Pikachu, Riolu, and Axew were sent flying. Takeru recovered to see his partner flying.

"Pikachu!" "Axew!" "I've got you, Riolu!" The three trainers called, grabbing onto their Pokémon. Oshawott caught his scalchop and began to cheer for the short reunion. Team Rocket landed on the ground as they faced the three trainers. "You don't do that to us!" Jessie snapped.

"Pikachu, Axew, and Riolu are our friends! You're not taking them!" Ash snapped. "Yeah! Listen to Ash! Because he's telling the truth!" Iris snapped. "I won't let you idiots take my first buddy!" Takeru snapped angrily. Takeru then kneeled down in pain. Iris gasped to notice the giant wound on Takeru's back, which blood began to leak out of his back.

"Takeru! You're hurt! You've got to rest!" Iris called, trying to get Takeru to stay down. "We'll handle this, Takeru! Pikachu! Use Thunderbolt!" Ash yelled. Jessie was ready for this, however. "Woobat! Use Air Slash!" Jessie called. Woobat sent sharp air towards Pikachu, interrupting the Thunderbolt! The Air Slash also hit Axew as well.

Riolu managed to dodge it. "Argh! Missed Riolu! Use Air Slash again!" Jessie called. Woobat prepared to use another Air Slash. "Riolu... Ugh... Use ThunderPunch!" Takeru grunted. Riolu leapt in the air and began to use ThunderPunch. Just as the attack was made, Oshawott came by and attacked Woobat with Water Gun.

Water splashed on Woobat as Riolu punched Woobat with ThunderPunch! "You can do it, Pikachu! Use Volt Tackle!" Ash called. Pikachu charged at the evil trio with Volt Tackle. James took out a smoke pellet and threw it, causing a smoke. The three trainers looked to see that Team Rocket vanished.

"I guess Team Rocket got away..." Ash stated. Pikachu and Axew then collapsed on the ground, with Takeru groaning as he collapsed as well. "Pikachu!" Ash gasped. "Axew!" Iris called. The two trainers ran for their Pokémon, as Riolu ran over to his brother. _"Big bro?"_ Riolu asked, feeling tearful. Takeru grunted as he struggled to get up.

Ash and Iris first checked their Pokémon. "Pikachu! Stay strong!" Ash called. "Let's get them to the Pokémon Center!" Iris called. "Right! And Takeru, too!" Ash called. They ran over as they helped Takeru up to his feet, taking him and the three to the Pokémon Center. "Thanks, Oshawott!" Ash thanked. Oshawott only stared as the trainers ran off.

* * *

"Thank you for waiting! I'm happy to say that your Pokémon are just fine!" Nurse Joy explained. She presented Ash's Pikachu and Pidove, Iris' Axew, and Takeru's Riolu and Joltik. Pikachu and Axew jumped onto Ash and Iris' arms. "Oh, I'm so relieved!" Iris sighed happily. "That's great, Nurse Joy! Thank you!" Ash thanked.

Just then, the emergency door rang, with Takeru coming out. He had bandages around his mid-section, with his top clothing store taken off. He carried his top clothing in his arms as he grunted in pain. _"Brother!"_ Riolu cried. "Joltik!" Joltik called. The two Pokémon leapt onto Takeru's arms as Takeru smiled.

"I'm feeling better now, you two." Takeru assured. Riolu began to cry as he nuzzled onto Takeru's bare chest. Joltik went up to Takeru's head and settled there. "How's your back feeling, Takeru?" Ash asked. "Much better, but thanks." Takeru answered, hugging his Emanation Pokémon back.

"Seeing a Pikachu, it's very unusual!" Nurse Joy admitted. "Guess so! You see, we're from Pallet Town! This is the first Pokémon Center we've been coming to ever since we came to the Unova region!" Ash explained. "Then welcome! And just like Kanto, if your Pokémon ever need help, or you need anything at all, feel free to stop by anytime!" Nurse Joy giggled.

"Thank you!" Ash thanked. "I have to say, Ash. Takeru. Not bad!" Iris giggled. "Though Takeru may be mature, while you're a kid, I am impressed! Thank you! You both saved Axew!" Iris commented. "Actually, we should be thanking Oshawott for this." Takeru corrected.

Ash then made a thought. "I still can't figure out why Oshawott decided to help us and all." Ash replied. "I don't know about that just yet. But, I can tell that Oshawott was on our side... Agh!" Takeru started, but grunted in pain. "You've got to rest, Takeru! Let's go to our room and rest there." Iris suggested.

The two boys agreed as they headed to their rooms in the Pokémon Center. They didn't notice Oshawott spying on them.

And so, Team Rocket seemed to have followed Ash in the Unova region. Takeru gained severe damage to his body, but soon is about to recover. What will happen during these events? Stay tuned to find out some more!

To be continued...

**Takeru's Team:**

**Riolu: (M): (Blaze Kick, ThunderPunch, Force Palm, Dig)**

**Joltik: (M): (Electroweb, Electro Ball, Leech Life, String Shot)**

**Pidove: (M): (Quick Attack, Aerial Ace, Air Cutter, Gust)**


	5. To Sand A Rumor!

**Chapter 5: To Sand A Rumor!**

Takeru, Ash, and Iris were out of the Pokémon Center the next day. Takeru's wound hasn't fully recovered yet, but was healing well. The thought of the incident left Riolu unhappy as he held tight onto Takeru's shoulder. "So, Takeru. How's your back feeling?" Ash asked, looking at the Nuvema boy.

"Fine, I guess." Takeru answered, sighing. "Well, don't out too much pressure on it. It'll be worse if you do that." Iris replied. With that, Takeru agreed as Ash look over at Iris. "So, why are you coming along with me and Takeru anyway?" Ash asked, growing suspicious with Iris. Iris only scoffed at this.

"Excuse me, but it's not me that's coming along with the two of you, it's that the both of you are coming along with me! Get it?" Iris explained. "Oh, please." Ash muttered. Just then, both Takeru and Riolu noticed that Ash and Iris were walking a bit faster. Takeru also began to speed up so he could catch up to them.

Ash was ahead of Iris now. "It's true!" Iris insisted. She began to walk faster, going ahead of Ash. "Man!" Ash growled, speed walking in front of Iris. Iris noticed as she walked even faster. "Excuse me!" Iris called. Ash began to walk faster, mocking Iris. "Excuse me!" Ash snapped, walking in front of the girl.

Takeru began to sweat drop as he tried to walk faster to catch up, but was slowing, due to his injured back. "Argh!" Iris grunted, gritting her teeth. She began to walk faster. "No you don't!" Ash snapped, gritting his teeth. He walked in front of Iris. With that, the two began to run to get in front of each other.

Takeru panted as he began to walk faster as well, trying to keep up with them. Iris stopped the two and glared at Ash. "Who said you can walk in front of me, Ash!?" Iris snapped. "No one!" Ash answered. "Look, I figured since the two of you don't know much about the Unova region, I'd help you out!" Iris explained.

She then folded her arms. "And what do I get for trying to be nice? Obviously not even a thank you!" Iris grunted, sighing. "I don't remember Takeru or myself asking you to come along!" Ash grunted. "You know, if you wanted to help us, you could've just asked us first, then giving us a decision if we want you to guide us or not." Takeru explained.

Iris sweat dropped, laughing nervously. She nodded lightly at Takeru before narrowing her eyes at Ash. "Sure! Go ahead and act like a tough guy! You're such a kid when Takeru's acting all matured!" Iris snickered. That ticked Ash off. "Oh yeah!? Well, you're such a kid, too!" Ash snapped back.

Iris grew angered with this as well. "You've got some nerve saying that to me!" Iris snapped angrily. The two glared at each other, looking like fire was burning around them. Both Takeru and Riolu sweat dropped as Ash and Iris glared at each other. Just then, Riolu tapped on Takeru's shoulder.

Takeru gave his attention to Riolu as Riolu pointed to a figure besides the two. Takeru looked down to see the familiar Water Type Pokémon. "Oshawott?" Takeru asked. Ash and Iris stopped glaring at each other to look down to see the Sea Otter Pokémon. "Oshawott!" The Water Type exclaimed.

"Oshawott! Oshawott!" Oshawott exclaimed walking over to Ash. Ash blinked in surprise, remembering the Pokémon. "It's you!" Ash recalled. He remembered the time when Oshawott helped out the three by defeating Team Rocket with them.

Ashtook out his Pokédex to scan Oshawott. "Oshawott, the Sea Otter Pokémon. Oshawott attakcks and defends, using its scalchop that can be removed from its stomach." Ash's Pokédex buzzed. Ash smiled as he put his Pokédex away. "Thanks for helping us back there!" Ash thanked.

"Oshwott!" Oshawott accepted, smiling happily. "Although, what brings you here right now?" Takeru asked. _"Why did you follow us?" _Riolu asked. Oshawott responded by walking closer to Ash. Pikachu realized Oshawott's wish as he explained it to Ash. "Pika! Pika Pi! Pika Pika!" Pikachu explained.

"Wow! So you were following us?" Ash asked, confused. "That should be obvious since it's with us right now, Ash." Takeru muttered, sweat dropping. Riolu agreed with a snort and a waving paw. Iris squealed happily with Oshawott's cuteness.

"You're so cute! And you were following me! If you were seeing any softer at your cheeks and squishier, I can't stand it!" Iris squealed. Oshawott frowned as Iris began to poke his cheek. "Of course, since it's obvious that you can't live without me, I promise that I'll keep you as my very own Pokémon!" Iris exclaimed.

Takeru face palmed as he confessed to the young girl. "I don't think it's about you, Iris." Takeru muttered. Iris looked at Takeru in confusion. "What do you mean?" Iris asked. Just as Iris asked, Oshawott jumped out of Iris' grip.

He quickly shook his head, much to Iris' dismay. The Sea Otter Pokémon ran over to where Ash was, praising him. He then went up to Ash's shoulder, shoving Pikachu off of the Kanto trainer. "What's going on... Pikachu!?" Ash gasped. Pikachu got up, glaring at the Water Type.

"Pika!" Pikachu snapped. Oshawott leapt off of Ash's shoulder and explained his reasons for following them. "Are you saying you like Ash?" Iris asked. "Wott! Wott! Oshawott!" Oshawott exclaimed happily. Riolu cocked his head, looking at Takeru. Takeru laughed nervously, before looking back at Ash.

Pikachu had had enough with Oshawott as he used Thunderbolt. He aimed it at Oshawott. Oshawott deflected Thunderbolt by using his scalchop. The Thunderbolt redirected back to Ash! "Ahhhhhh!" Ash screamed as he fell down, shocked. Takeru and Riolu both stepped back in surprise.

As for Iris and Axew, the two laughed at Ash's reaction. Ash immediately recovered, getting back up. "What was that for?" Ash asked, grunting. "Osha... Oshawott..." Oshawott explained, showing sparkly eyes on his face. "Hey, Ash. I'm starting to get the feeling this Oshawott would like to be caught by you!" Iris explained.

"Yeah?" Ash asked. Oshawott responded with a happy call. His eyes sparkled even brighter. His cheeks flushed in red. "It sure sounds that way, considering the way he feels." Takeru muttered, shaking his head in disappointment. _"That's pretty obvious..." _Riolu grunted.

Ash grinned as he got back up. "What do you know? Since you helped us out with Team Rocket, do you want to come along with us?" Ash asked. "Oshawott! Wott! Osha!" Oshawott exclaimed happily. "Pika Pika?" Pikachu asked, feeling nervous about this idea.

With that, Ash ran over to one sied, where he was in a fair distance from the Water Type. He twisted his cap backward, before making the throw. "Okay, Oshawott! Go, Pokéball!" Ash called. He threw the ball at the Water Type. The Pokéball hit Oshawott, but it didn't suck him inside.

To everyone's surprise, the Pokéball just bounced off, rolling until it stopped. Oshawott rubbed his head, flinched a little when the Pokéball had hit his forehead. "Hm? What's with this Pokéball? Wait... Is it?!..." Takeru asked, then gasped. "What is it, Takeru?" Ash asked.

Takeru recalled of when Professor Juniper introduced Oshawott in the lab. He looks closer to Oshawott, inquiring it. "Say, are you the Pokémon from Professor Juniper's lab?" Takeru asked. Oshawott nodded, feeling happy for the realization. Both Ash and Iris grew surprised with this.

"Then, I guess that would mean Oshawott's Pokéball has got to be back at the Professor's lab as well!" Ash guessed. Iris and Takeru nodded in agreement. So, they headed to a nearest phone booth to contact the Unova Professor. When they called her, the Professor was relieved.

"That's where Oshawott went! I was so worried since Oshawott left without letting me know!" Prof. Juniper sighed, feeling relieved. "Yeah! Looks like Oshawott has been following us!" Ash stated. "Since it was looking for Ash, that is." Takeru added. Riolu nodded with a bark.

"Well, Ash! If it wouldn't be too much of a bother, maybe you can take care of Oshawott, from now on!" Professor Juniper chuckled. Ash grinned happily with that. "Wow! You don't mind?" Ash asked. "Now, of course not! I'll send you its Pokéball, right away!" Juniper chuckled.

With that, the machine next to them brought a Pokéball, which Ash took. "Thanks! Got it!" Ash called. "And, Ash! Since Oshawott has a tendency to disappear, keep an eye out!" Juniper reminded. Riolu tugged onto Takeru's pants in desperate need. _"Big bro! It's trouble!"_ Riolu barked.

Takeru quickly turned to see that someone was indeed missing. "Oh great... She just told us, and Oshawott is already gone!" Takeru groaned. Ash and Iris turned in shock, to also see that Oshawott was missing. "It's gone!" Ash exclaimed.

The three trainers, Pikachu, and Riolu all ran out to look around for the Water Type. "This is nuts! Where could've Oshawott have gone!?" Ash asked, looking around desperately. Iris smirked at Ash's cluelessness. "Well, it looks like Takeru and I have to help you look around!" Iris giggled.

Ash gave Iris a dirty look, before declining her offer. "Takeru and I can do it ourselves, thank you." Ash muttered. Takeru sweat dropped, trying to reconsider Ash's decision. "Come on. We'll need all the help we can get. It's like with Iris!" Takeru explained. Iris blushed lightly before continuing her words.

"Now, since we're all Pokémon Trainers, you don't have to go around, acting like a little kid, you know. Be mature! Like Takeru!" Iris explained. Ash ignored Iris' words as he began to drag Takeru for the search. "Let's go, Pikachu. Takeru." Ash called. Takeru sweat dropped as he was dragged by Ash.

Riolu quickly followed behind as Iris grew bewildered. "Hey! Wait a minute! Stop being so stubborn!" Iris called. Just then, Takeru got himself out of Ash's grip as both Ash and Iris looked at him, confused. "What's wrong, Takeru?" Ash asked. He and Iris were still walking.

Takeru widened his eyes as he tried to stop his two friends. "Both of you! Stop! It's..." Takeru started. But, he was interrupted, as there were yelps in surprise. Riolu grew startled as well, as he and his human brother ran to where Ash and Iris had fallen. The two were groaning, trapped in a pit trap.

"Ugh... That hurts..." Ash groaned. "Hey! You two okay?" Takeru called. _"Are you alright?"_ Riolu asked, barking to Pikachu. "We're fine... But, what's going on?" Iris asked. "Looks like a trap!" Ash guessed. Axew popped out of Iris' hair again to look around curiously.

"If it is, who could've done this?" Ash asked. Before either Takeru or Iris could answer, another voice came up, answering his question. "Sandile." The boy called. The three trainers with their Pokémon looked to see the boy standing next to Takeru, much to his surprise.

The boy helped Ash and Iris out by taking out a rope. He tied one end of the rope to a tree, where he tied it tight. Then, he, Takeru, and Riolu pulled Ash and Iris off the trap, with Ash taking out his Pokédex. "Sandile?" Ash repeated, searching for the Pokémon.

"Sandile, the Desert Croc Pokémon. Its dark membranes can protect its eyes from the sun, and it buries itself in the sand, with its eyes and nose sticking out." Ash's Pokédex buzzed. "Wow..." Ash replied, feeling amazed with the new Pokémon. Then, the three turned to the boy who helped them out.

"I'm Iris! And I can't thank you enough for helping us! And, these two are Ash and Takeru!" Iris introduced. "Hi, my name is Dan! And my family and I operate a resort spa hotel that's not far from here!" Dan explained. "This is so cool, because I happen to adore resort spas!" Iris squealed.

She held Dan's hands, feeling happy about hearing spas in a hotel. Riolu tugged on Takeru's pants, which Takeru looked down on. _"I think Iris is acting like a kid now." _Riolu whispered. Takeru chuckled at Riolu's opinion on Iris and nodded lightly. "Me, too!" Ash agreed. Dan smiled sadly at the three.

"Well, it makes me feel a lot happy about hearing that, but... It makes me really sad to say that we're closed right now. Because of Sandile." Dan sadly explained. The three trainers, and the three Pokémon grew curious and bewildered to hear this.

Dan began to explain as he took the three trainers to his family's hotel, where the guests took a spa in the sand. "Our hot sand spas are our hotel's biggest attractions!" Dan started. He showed the three trainers of what the sand spa looked like now. As Ash, Iris, and Takeru looked, it was a mess.

There were holes in many sand parts, trees have fallen, smooth rocks were heavily scratched, and a few other rocks were scattered around. "Unfortunately, now it looks like this." Dan sighed. Ash grew surprised with the mess. "Whoa, that's too bad." Ash said, feeling sorry.

"It just happened a short time ago..." Dan started

_Flashback_

_At the hot sand spas, Dan and his father were helping out the guests enjoy themselves in the hot sand. "Okay, Dad. Is this about right?" Dan asked. "Yes it is, son!" Dan's father chuckled. As Dan walked over, Dan's father asked the guests about the hot sands. "How is it? Looks like it feels great!" Dan's father chuckled._

_"Now, you two have a relaxing time, okay?" Dan's father asked. Just as the guests were about to relax, something came from the sands. It was a Sandile! It was wearing a dark sunglasses. This made the two stiff in surprise. "What's that?" The girl asked. _

_"It's a wild Sandile! They sure work a lot, since they enjoy a hot sand bath as well!" Dan's father answered. As he talked, other wild Sandiles appeared from the ground, near where the guests were. They seemed to be enjoying the hot springs as well. "But don't worry. They won't hurt you!" Dan's father chuckled._

_The guests weren't sure about that. "I guess it's fine." The man replied. Just then, Sadile dug underground, kicking sand at the guests. The two began to panic as Sandile called out to the other Sandiles. They responded to the sunglasses Sandile, as they began to dig underground as well._

_As they dug, trees fell over, rocks began to sink, causing havoc in the hot sand spa! The guests screamed in panic as they ran off, trying to avoid the wild Sandiles. Dan and his father grew bewildered aid what had happened right now. "What in the world is going on with them?" Dan's father asked._

_End Flashback_

"So, for now, I'm afraid we're going to have to stay closed." Dan finished. This made Takeru puzzled. "This is so not like a Pokémon to be like this. How could some wild Sandiles act violent when they were peaceful before?" Takeru asked. "Yeah. We don't have any idea, though." Dan sighed.

Ash gave Pikachu a grin, having an idea. "So, why don't we help them find out?" Ash asked. "Pika!" Pikachu agreed. "Come on!" Ash called. He leapt over the barrier, running into the sand. Takeru and Iris both looked at each other, not sure of what Ash was planning.

Suddenly, they both grew surprised. Ash and Pikachu were relaxing in the sand! Ash had wore his swimming trunks on, while putting his outdoor clothes in a neat pile. "Man... It doesn't get any better than this!" Ash sighed happily. "Pikachu..." Pikachu sighed happily as well.

Takeru and Riolu sweat dropped as they fell to the ground. As they got back up, Iris grew annoyed with this. "I give. What are you doing?" Iris asked. "Well, before we figure it out, we need to research first!" Ash explained. "Pika..." Pikachu replied, relaxing in the hot sand. Riolu looked at the two curiously.

"Go on, Riolu." Takeru called. Riolu blinked in surprise, before nuzzling Takeru's left leg in thanks. He then joined Ash and Pikachu in the hot sands, relaxing. Iris grew bewildered, as she turned to Takeru. "Are you sure about this?" Iris asked. "Riolu has been involved in the problem yesterday, so yes." Takeru explained.

Iris sweat dropped, realizing what Takeru had meant. She then turned to Ash. "All you care about is checking on the hot sand!" Iris snorted. Just then, Axew popped his head out of the sand, joining in the relaxation. Both Takeru and Iris sweat dropped once again. "Not you too..." Iris mumbled.

Dan laughed nervously about this situation. Takeru then looked around, seeing if Sandile could be nearby. "He's not here yet... Just a little longer, maybe?" Takeru thought, before turning to the relaxing ones. "Ah... This is the best..." Ash sighed happily. He turned to Takeru with a grin.

"Come on, Takeru! Join in! You need to heal your back, you know." Ash reminded. Takeru smiled nervously, shaking his head. "I'll pass on this one, Ash, but thanks for the offer." Takeru assured. "Whatever you say!" Ash grinned, as he continued relaxing. "Pika..." "Axew..." Pikachu and Axew sighed.

_"This really is warm... And relaxing..." _Riolu sighed happily. Before they could relax any longer, Iris called to Ash. "Ash! I thought we were searching for Oshawott! Remember?" Iris reminded annoyingly. Ash suddenly got up, starting to remember. "Ah! I forgot!" Ash gasped.

Pikachu got up, too, remembering as well. Just then, Takeru heard a relaxing voice. He looked around, spotting Oshawott. "Well well well, he's over there!" Takeru called. Everyone turned to see the Water Type lying on the sand. It seemed to be relaxing. It had its scalchop on its head.

"Oshawott!" Ash called. They all ran over, to check the Sea Otter Pokémon. Riolu began to get up, until Takeru gave him the okay sign, telling Riolu to relax a little more. The Emanation Pokémon hesitated, before relaxing again. "Hold on! Have you been lying here this whole time?" Ash asked.

"Oshawott... Osha..." Oshawott sighed, relaxing. Ash smiled, feeling relieved. "That's one happy Pokémon." Ash chuckled. Just then, Takeru felt a presence. "Ah! Everyone! Something's coming!" Takeru called. Everyone turned in surprise. Suddenly, the sand bursted, revealing a familiar Pokémon.

It was Sandile! Dan pointed it out. "You see!? That's the leader of the Sandile!" Dan called. Takeru narrowed his eyes as he got ready. This Sandile doesn't look so happy to see them right now.

Ash, Iris, and Takeru are still recovering from yesterday of what had happned, especially Takeru. Now, they find themselves in a situation between Prof. Juniper's Oshawott and an incident happening at Dan's hot sand spa, because of a Sandile. How will the three solve these problems soon? Stay tuned to find out!

To be continued...

**Takeru's Team:**

**Riolu: (M): (Force Palm, Blaze Kick, ThunderPunch, Dig)**

**Joltik: (M): (Electroweb, Electro Ball, String Shot, Leech Life)**

**Pidove: (M): (Quick Attack, Gust, Aerial Ace, Air Cutter)**


	6. Geyser To Escape From!

**Chapter 6: Geyser To Escape From!**

Last time on "Pokémon Unova Journey", Takeru's back was still healing after the incident with Team Rocket. Ash and Iris were still bickering at each other, making insults, causing pressure to the group. That's when Oshawott came by, wanting to join Ash on his journey. But, when the three trainers went to get Oshawott's Pokéball, he was already gone.

Ash and Iris then both fell into a pit trap, which a boy named Dan explains that it was from a wild Sandile. Dan explained about his hot snad spa, which was all in ruins and closed now, because of the wild Sandiles making a rampage. Ash began to test his "research" out with Pikachu.

That's when everyone discovered Oshawott, who was also relaxing in the hot sand. as the relaxation was about to continue, a wild Sandile appeared, looking aggressive. Dan pointed it out that it was the leader of all the Sandiles.

Dan pointed it out. "You see!? That's the leader of the Sandile!" Dan called. Takeru narrowed his eyes as he got ready. This Sandile doesn't look so happy to see them right now. Before anyone could react, Sandile swiftly grabbed Axew by his mouth!

Axew yelled in pain as he was lifted by Sandile's mouth. "No! Axew!" Iris gasped. "We'll save you! Don't worry!" Ash called. "Pikachu!" Pikachu agreed. Ash made an order to his starter. "Pikachu! Thunderbolt, let's go!" Ash called. Before Piikachu could attack, Takeru stopped the two.

"Don't bother! If you strike now, it'll also harm Axew! Also, Electric Type attacks won't work against a Ground Type like Sandile!" Takeru warned. That caused Pikachu to stop, as Iris ran over, grabbing Sandile. "Now, let go of my Axew or else!" Iris demanded.

Sandile resisted the pull as he held onto Axew tightly in his jaws. Ash, Pikachu, and Oshawott ran over to help out as well. "Open your mouth! Come on!" Ash called. Everyone then began to pull, which Axew shrieking in pain. Takeru and Riolu watched as they tried to think of something.

Suddenly, an idea came to Takeru's mind. "Riolu! Use Dig!" Takeru called. Riolu nodded as he dug underground, preparing for the surprise Attack. Sandile didn't notice, since he was being pulled by the two humans and the two Pokémon. Suddenly, the sand under him bursted!

It was Riolu! It struck Sandile with the underground Attack. This forced Sandile to release Axew, as all the others fell on their bottom. "Great thinking, Takeru!" Ash complimented. But, the surprise Attack made Sandile very cross.

He lunged, grabbing Pikachu by his left paw, Oshawott by his left foot, and Riolu by his tail. All three Pokémon gasped in startle as they were dragged by the Desert Croc Pokémon. The three trainers turned in surprise. "Pikachu! Oshawott!" Ash called. "Riolu!?" Takeru shouted in startle.

"Help me, big bro!" Riolu wailed as his tail was being pulled by Sandile. Sandile quickly began to escape, until he was pulled up. Everyone gasped to see what it was. A construction machine with a magnet held Sandile in the air. Riolu, Pikachu, and Oshawott was dragged along as well!

"What's all that!?" Ash yelled in surprise. That's when the three familiar trio smirked, beginning their motto.

"Open your ears, for the answer indeed!"

"The answer to come, as we feel the need!"

"We bring... white light of evil, into your future!"

"Hammering... Justice onto the black universe!"

"Carving our names in the Rock of Eternity!"

"The fiery destroyer... Jessie."

"With thunderous emotion... I am James."

"Wisest of the wise... Meowth!"

"Now gather on the name of Team Rocket!"

The machine with the magnet raised Sandile, Oshawott, Pikachu, and Riolu up even higher. "It's you again!?" Takeru snapped angrily. "Don't you learn ever to give up!?" Iris snapped. "Give us back our Pokémon!" Ash demanded. Jessie scoffed as she narrowed her eyes.

"There's a huge flaw in your premise, since they're now our Pokémon!" Jessie sneered. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu yelled, protesting. "Oshawott!" Oshawott wailed. _"I don't belong to you! I belong to big brother!"_ Riolu snapped, annoyed with the evil trio. team Rocket then began to move on their machine, beginning to escape.

Ash, Takeru, and Iris all began to run after the machine. Meowth, at the same time, took out a smoke bomb, throwing it near the group. Takeru immediately saw it as he dove to the ground, evading the bomb. Ash, Iris and Dan all yelled as smoke spread around them.

As Team Rocket started to get away, Takeru ran out of the smoke, taking out a Pokéball. "I won't let you get away again! Pidove! I need your help!" Takeru yelled. The Tiny Pigeon Pokémon appeared, ready to fight. "Pidove! Air Cutter, let's go!" Takeru called. Pidove sent sharp air towards Team Rocket.

Jessie saw it as she took out her Pokéball. "Woobat! Use Air Slash!" Jessie shouted. Woobat appeared, destroying Air Cutter with Air Slash. "Joltik! I need your help with Electro Ball!" Takeru called. Joltik appeared, blasting Woobat away with Electro Ball. "Tch! This twerp is very persistent!" James grunted.

"Meowth! Teach this brat a lesson!" Jessie called. "Rest assured!" Meowth called. He threw more smoke bombs, which Takeru saw. "Return! Both of you!" Takeru called. He quickly returned Pidove and Joltik back to their Pokéballs, while dodging the smoke bombs. Meowth began to panic.

"What's the status, Meowth!?" Jessie called. "This twerp is really athletic! He just dodged all of our smoke bombs!" Meowth yelled. James and Jessie all gasped as they saw behind that Takeru was running after them. "I'm coming, Riolu! Hold on!" Takeru called. _"Big brother!"_ Riolu wailed.

As Team Rocket were escaping from Takeru, Jessie chuckled. "The dream of catching Pikachu comes true!" Jessie sneered. "And there's nothing like Oshawott, Sandile, and Riolu as a bonus prize!" Meowth replied with an evil grin. "So! Let's inform the boss right away!" James called.

Suddenly, the machine suddenly stopped, with one side lurching. All four Pokémon panicked, as Team Rocket grew surprised. Takeru stopped behind the machine as he looked to see what has happened. "What's happening?" Jessie demanded as she looked around.

Everyone looked to see some other wild Sandiles coming by. "Looks like you're in a sand trap now, Team Rocket!" Takeru smirked. "Very funny, twerp!" James snapped angrily. Meowth swung the briefcase at the Sandile. "Stay away from us! All of you!" Meowth yelled.

Takeru took out his Pidove's Pokéball, and sent him out. "Pidove! I need your help again!" Takeru called. Pidove appeared, witnessing the surrounding. "Pidove! Use Aerial Ace on the magnet!" Takeru called. Pidove charged at the magnet, attacking it several times. The magnet started to lose the four captive Pokémon.

As Sandile saw Takeru helping out, he called to the other Sandiles, giving them the signal. The minions of the sunglasses Sandile all dug underground, preparing for a surprise Attack. Jessie gritte her teeth, turning to James. "Alright. What are they trying to do!? James! Let's get out of here, right away!" Jessie called.

"Right!" James agreed. But, before James could touch the controls, the machine lurched from another side again. Before they knew it, the construction machine was sinking! Takeru saw this and called to the Tiny Pigeon Pokémon. "Pidove! It's too dangerous now! Get back here!" Takeru warned.

Pidove nodded, before flying to Takeru's extended arm. Before it could sink completely, the evil trio flew out, landing on the ground. As they landed, the magnet released the four Pokémon. Sandile began to walk away, getting away from all this nonsense. "Wait up, Sandile!" Takeru called.

He returned Pidove to his Pokéball, before following the leader. The leader Sandile glanced at Takeru for a moment, before nodding. That's when the other Sandiles began to follow Takeru and their leader.

"Team. I'm afraid we have no choice but to retreat." James called. Jessie and Meowth nodded in agreement as they all ran, escaping. Takeru glanced at where Team Rocket had disappeared. It won't be the last time that he sees them.

Later, at a fair distance, Sandile finally released Pikachu, Oshawott, and Riolu. Riolu immediately leaped onto Takeru's arms, snuggling him. "Big brother... It was scary..." Riolu stammered, shuddering. Takeru smiled, hugging his Emanation Pokémon. "It's okay, Riolu. I'm here now." Takeru assured.

"Sandile!" Sandile called. Takeru turned his attention to the leader, who jerked his head to his right. It seemed to be telling Takeru to see what was happening. Takeru turned, to see that there was a group of other wild Pokémon nearby.

"Those Pokémon... Patrat, Pidove, and Deerling? What are they doing here?" Takeru asked. The leader Sandile walked up to the top of the rock, making an announcement. "Sandile Sandile! Sandile! Sandile Sandile!" Sandile called. Takeru grew confused as he looked down at Riolu.

"Riolu, what is Sandile saying?" Takeru asked. _"He says that he will take us all to a safe place, where we are far from the geysers." _Riolu answered, looking concerned. Takeru widened his eyes at the word, geyser. "Geysers?... Of course! That must be why Sandile brought you, Oshawott and Pikachu here!" Takeru exclaimed.

Pikachu and Oshawott turned to Takeru in confusion. Just then, a burst of hot water came, bursting from the ground. The Pokémon began to panic, as Takeru saw it. "That's a geyser all right." Takeru mumbled as he held Riolu close to his chest.

Steam began to surround everyone as the geysers bursted even closer. "Sandile Sand!" The leader Sandile called. With that, all the other Pokémon began to move it. _"He says that we need to move quick!"_ Riolu translated. "Hey, Pikachu!" A familar voice called. Oshawott and Pikachu turned to see Ash running to them.

"Ash! You're late!" Takeru scolded. _"Very late!" _Riolu barked, puffing his cheeks out. Ash sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry." Ash apologized. Pikachu and Oshawott went over to Ash as Sadnile noticed the Kanto trainer. "Sandile!" Sandile called. It began to crawl towards the three Pokémon again.

Suddenly, there were rumbling going on. "That sounds huge!" Dan called. Pikachu and Oshawott ran to Ash just before one side of the ground bursted. Everyone turned to see a geyser bursting up, shooting boiling water into the air. The barrier that's guarding the geysers broke.

The boiling water splashed out, starting to make a river of it. Iris and Dan ran over to see what had happened. All the humans widened their eyes to see the boiling water riner surrounding all the Pidoves, Patrats, and Deerlings. All of them began to shiver and panic, wondering what was going to happen to them.

Some parts of the land began to break apart, making trouble for the wild Pokémon. "They're surrounded by boiling water! Now what do we do?" Iris asked. "It's gonna be trouble if another big one blows!" Dan reminded. As Dan finished, there was another rumble. "Like right now!" Iris shrieked.

Ash's then began to run towards the water for the Pokémon. "Ash! No! It's too hot for you to go inside the boiling water!" Takeru called. He held Ash by the shoulder. Oshawott stopped Pikachu from going as well. "But, I've got to do something to save them!" Ash grunted, as he stood back.

"Sandile!" Sandile called. Everyone looked to see the leader of the Sandile giving orders to his minions. "Sandile!" Sandile called. All the other Sandile responded with a nod as they took the order. The leader Sandile bit onto a rock. With that, other Sandiles began to bite onto each other's tail.

They all began to form a Sandile bridge. "What are they trying to do?" Iris asked. "I know! The Sandile are making the bridge!" Ash exclaimed, grinning with the idea. Takeru, Iris, and Dan witnessed that the bridge was complete. "Good luck, Sandile!" Dan called. "You can do it!" Iris cheered.

The Sandile bridge fell down, making a bridge for the Pokémon to cross on. "Yeah! Awesome! Everyone! Cross over the bridge!" Ash called. But, to their surprise, the Pokémon grew hesitant, not crossing the bridge. "What's the matter?" Iris asked. "They're frightened, because of the boiling water." Takeru answered.

"Hey! You've got to hurry and cross!" Ash called. But, yet again, the Pokémon were still hesitant. None of them seemed sure if this idea. With this, Takeru handed Riolu to Iris. "Iris, look after Riolu for me, okay?" Takeru asked. Iris grew surprised, but nodded, taking Riolu. "Uh... Sure?" Iris stuttered.

Takeru then ran across the bridge, much to everyone's shock. _"Big brother!?" _Riolu yelped, as he tried to run after Takeru, but as held back by Iris. "In that case, I'll help out, too!" Ash called. He and Pikachu ran on the bridge too, meeting up with the frightened Pokémon.

"Come on! Let's all get on the Sandile bridge and cross over together!" Ash called. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu called. "The more time we all waste, the more chance were all gonna be in boiling water, so hurry!" Takeru warned. With those words, one Deerling began to cross the Sandile bridge.

"Okay! Hurry!" Ash called. At those calls, some other Pokémon began to follow, with the Pidoves flying above. "Keep it up!" Iris called. "Not much time!" Dan warned. _"Big brother, hurry!" _Riolu called, trying to call for his human brother.

After a few minutes, all the wild Pokémon had crossed. "Pikachu, why don't you go on ahead?" Ash asked. Pikachu nodded as he began to cross back to the other side as well. As Pikachu was crossing, part of the rock of the land began to break. Both boys gasped as Ash held onto the Sandile.

Takeru held onto Ash, pulling him back. "Oh no! Ash! Takeru!" Iris gasped. "Pika Pi!" Pikachu called. _"Brother Takeru! The bridge is breaking!"_ Riolu barked, trying to get to Takeru, but Iris held her grip.

"Okay! Hang on a little longer!" Ash called. Sandile held his jaws tight on the rock, but it started to get loose. "You can do it, Sandile! Just a little bit more!" Ash grunted. "He won't be able to go on forever, Ash!" Takeru grunted, holding onto the Kanto trainer. As Ash and Takeru held on, everyone else was back at the other side.

Suddenly, another burst of geysers came up! The boiling water began to fall towards As and Takeru. "Ah!" Ash yelled in surprise. Oshawott ran by, shooting out Water Gun. It managed to stop part of the boiling water, but a decent amount of it was headed straight for Ash. "Ash! Look out!" Iris called.

Takeru immediately let go of Ash, then ran in front of him, as the boiling water splashed on his back. "Gaaahhh!" Takeru screamed as the water sizzled on his injured back. "No! Takeru!" Iris shrieked. "Ah!" Dan gasped. "Takeru!?" Ash gasped in surprise. _"Big bro!" _Riolu barked in sadness, tearing up.

Takeru fell to his knees, as Ash was bewildered for what Takeru did. "Takeru... I..." Ash stuttered. "Argh... Thank me later, Ash. Look!" Takeru grunted, trying to stand up. Ash whipped his head to see that Oshawott was falling. The Sea Otter Pokémon wailed as he began to fall towards the boiling water.

Ash quickly took out his Pokéball, returning Oshawott. "Oshawott! Return!" Ash called. Just in time, the Sea Otter Pokémon was safely returned to its Pokéball. "You were great, Oshawott!" Ash praised. Takeru got up just in time to see Ash was losing his grip. "Ash!" Takeru grunted.

Ash widened his eyes as he tried to hold on, but it was too late. Just as it looked bad, Iris grabbed Ash's hand just in time. Ash looked to see Iris smiling at him and Takeru. "That was pretty crazy, you two." Iris sighed. "Nah! That was nothing!" Ash grinned. Ash held out his hand for Takeru to grab.

Takeru weakly took Ash's hand, as Ash held on. "Sandile! Give it just one more push, okay?" Ash called. Sandile nodded, as he and the others raised themselves up high. "Awesome!" Iris exclaimed. Ash and Takeru both held onto the bridge, which began to fall apart. Everyone fell to the ground, creating a large dust.

The dust cleared, with Riolu running over to Takeru. _"Big bro? Are you okay?" _Riolu asked. Takeru grunted as he got up painfully. "I'm fine. No need to be concerned... Agh!" Takeru grunted, as he stayed low. Ash and Iris got up, running over to the Nuvema boy. "Takeru. Are you alright?" Iris asked.

"Y-Yeah. I guess so." Takeru stuttered, getting up. "Takeru... Thanks for saving me back there." Ash thanked, smiling at the Nuvema boy, feeling sorry for him. But, to the two trainer's surprise, Takeru smiled. "It's okay. It's what friends do, right?" Takeru asked. Ash and Iris looked at each other, smiling.

Then, they turned to Takeru with a nod. "That's what friends do!" The two said together. Then, all of them, including Dan had a laugh together, as they walked back to the hotel.

**Later...**

Ash, Iris, Takeru were all relaxing in the hot springs. Riolu, Axew, Pikachu, and Oshawott were doing the same. "Well son? What do you think of our new hot spring?" Dan's father asked. Dan and his family reopened the hotel, due to the hot spring replacing the hot sand.

"I'm sorry the geysers caused us to lose the sand spa, but this is incredible!" Dan exclaimed. "Hot water feels awesome!" Ash sighed, feeling relaxed. "Pikachu." Pikachu agreed, relaxing. "Yeah! Five stars without a doubt!" Iris giggled. "Axew!" Axew agreed with a happy nod.

"It was a big pain from the boiling water, but this is okay." Takeru chuckled. Riolu pouted with this. _"Now, it's going to take longer for you to recover!"_ Riolu complained. Takeru sjook his head, ruffling Riolu's head. "I'll be fine. Promise, Riolu." Takeru promised. Riolu grinned happily, snuggling onto Takeru's chest.

"Wow, thanks!" Dan thanked, smiling. "We now have a new attraction!" Dan's father chuckled. "Yeah! There's nothing more relaxing than a hot spring!" Ash grinned. "You've got that right." Takeru agreed. Riolu sighed happily, as Takeru rubbed the Emanation Pokémon's head softly.

Takeru has suffered his body damage again, due to saving Ash, but it was worth it, since his back is about to recover pretty soon. Now, the three trainers with their Pokémon are enjoying the hot springs! What other part of the adventure awaits them? Stay tuned for some more!

To be continued...

**Takeru's Team:**

**Riolu: (M): (Force Palm, Blaze Kick, Dig, ThunderPunch)**

**Joltik: (M): (Electroweb, String Shot, Electro Ball, Signal Beam)**

**Pidove: (M): (Aerial Ace, Gust, Air Cutter, Quick Attack)**


	7. The Battle Club and Umbreon?

**Chapter 7: The Battle Club and Umbreon?**

It was a new day, as Ash, Takeru, and Iris were making their way to a new town. Takeru's back had healed up completely, so he's feeling fine at the current time. As they were walking, they spotted a new town up ahead. Thinking that it was Striaton City, Ash grew pumped.

"Yes! We've finally reached Striaton City! Time for a Gym battle!" Ash exclaimed. "Pika!" Pikachu agreed. Takeru and Riolu blinked in confusion as they walked besides the Kanto trainer. "Uh, Ash. Not to make you feel bad, but this isn't Striaton City. This is Accumula Town." Takeru explained.

Ash widened his eyes in surprise. "Wait, what!?" Ash yelped. Iris chuckled as she passed the two boys. "But, of course you wouldn't know that! You're a kid!" Iris giggled. Takeru sweat dropped at that. "Actually, Iris. Ash has never been to Unova, so of course he wouldn't know much about it." Takeru corrected.

Iris sweat dropped, realizing the true answer as well. "W-Well, that as well!" Iris laughed nervously. For Ash, he sighed in disappointment. "Wow. Bummer. I was so psyched to have a Gym Battle!" Ash sighed, feeling down. Iris smiled as she turned to the two boys.

"Then, why don't you and Takeru go to the Pokémon Battle Club? That's where I'm going right now!" Iris suggested. Ash perked his head up of hearing Battle Club. "Pokémon Battle Club, huh? So, what's that?" Ash asked. Iris grinned at Ash's lack of knowledge. "Of course you wouldn't either!" Iris chuckled.

Iris turned to Takeru as he began to explain. "Ash, a Pokémon Battle Club is like a place where trainers can have many battles with. If you want to battle someone, you can contact that trainer to make a schedule for a battle." Takeru explained. Ash grew amazed with that.

"How do you know that, Takeru?" Ash asked. Takeru smiled as he looked at Accumula Town. "I know the owner of the Battle Club here. He trained me and Riolu several times, allowing us to have many battles with other trainers." Takeru explained. Both Iris and Ash grew amazed.

"Wow... No wonder you and Riolu were so strong!" Iris commented. Riolu blushed at that, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. _"That's how I learned those new moves..." _Riolu muttered, fidgeting with his paws.

With that, Takeru and Iris led Ash to the Battle Club, where they gave him a little tour there. "Here! This is the Pokémon Battle Club!" Iris explained. The three trainers went inside, to see several machines nearby. Iris clicked on the screen panel, which showed some of the trainers' profile.

"That's the Bulletin Board. You can check any trainer's profile to see who you want to battle against." Takeru explained. He scrolled down the page to show Ash some of the trainers that can be battled. "It's an awesome place where trainers can sharpen their skills by battling as they see fit!" Iris stated.

Ash smiled, feeling excited about the Battle Club already. Just then, the three trainers heard a crash coming by. "What was that?" Ash asked, surprised. "Pika?" Pikachu asked, startled as well. "Looks like a battle is going on, right now." Takeru guessed. _"I want to see the battle, brother!"_ Riolu chirped.

Takeru chuckled at Riolu's excitement as he began to walk in the corridor. "Hey! Wait up!" Ash called. He and Iris went after Takeru, who arrived at the next room. But, it wasn't really a room. It was actually a giant indoor battle arena. Ash and Iris caught up to see a battle going on.

"Perfect timing! Looks like they're about to start battling!" Iris exclaimed. "Wow! All right!" Ash exclaimed. Both Takeru and Ash took out their Pokédexes, scanning the two Pokémon battling each other. They both looked like Snivy and Oshawott, but bigger, and the appearance was different.

_"Servine, the Grass Snake Pokémon, and the evolved form of Snivy. Servine whips its opponents with vines and dodges their attacks by hiding in a thick shadows of foliage."_ Takeru's Pokédex buzzed. "I thought that was Servine." Takeur whispered, looking at the evolved Grass Snake Pokémon.

_"Dewott, the Discipline Pokémon, and the evolved form of Oshawott. Through rigid training, Dewott uses the double scalchop technique to accomplish its fluid swordsmanship."_ Ash's Pokédex buzzed. "Whoa..." Ash said in amazement, amazed by seeing two evolved Pokémon.

"Servine! Use Leaf Blade!" Servine's trainer called. Servine ran and aimed its Leaf Blade Attack on Dewott. "Dewott! Water Gun!" Dewott's trainer called. Dewott rapidly splashed Water Gun at Servine, who flinched in pain. Servine tumbled across the battlefield, groaning in pain.

"Okay! That's enough! Take your Servine to be healed!" A man called out. He looked like a master of some martial arts. Servine's trainer ran over, checking on his Grass Type. "Servine!? Are you okay!?" The boy asked. "Servine!" Servine whimpered. With that, the boy took Servine out of the Battle Club.

As the three trainers watched the boy disappear, the man came up to the three. "Well well! If it isn't one of my pupil, Takeru!" The man chuckled. Ash, Iris, and Takeru turned to see the man patting on Takeru's shoulder with his big hands. "Hi, Don George. It's been a while." Takeru chuckled.

_"Hi, Mr. Don George!" _Riolu chirped with a wave. "I see that Riolu looks pretty healthy as well!" Don George chuckled. Ash and Iris grew surprised. "Takeru? You know this man?" Ash asked. Don George stood straight as he faced Ash and Iris. "We'll take care of all your battle needs! I welcome you to the Pokémon Battle Club!" Don George called.

Takeru explained the matter to his two friends. "This is Don George. He's the Club manager for this Battle Club." Takeru explained. Both Ash and Iris grew amazed, before introducing themselves. "My name is Iris! I'd like to introduce you to Ash!" Iris explained, presenting the Kanto trainer.

"Iris was just telling me that anyone could have a battle here if they want to!" Ash explained. Don George chuckled as he smiled. "Right! That's correct!" Don George chuckled. "I'm going to challenge the Striaton Gym, and I want to get ready!" Ash explained. "Pika!" Pikachu agreed.

Pikachu leapt onto Ash's shoulder, much to Don George's surprise. "Ah! A Pikachu? How unusual to see one in the Unova region!" Don George chuckled. Just then, the Dewott's trainer came over to the group. "Excuse me! Is that Pikachu yours?" The trainer asked. Ash nodded with a grin.

"Yeah!" Ash exclaimed. But then, the boy noticed Takeru, and let out a yelp. "Ah! It's you!" The boy snapped. Takeru flinched, with Riolu doing the same. "Me?" Takeru asked. "Yeah! You! You're that guy who beat me when we battled!" The boy snapped.

Takeru sweat dropped as he sighed. "Here we go..." Takeru muttered. "I want a rematch! So I could get you back!" The boy snapped. Ash and Iris both sweat dropped, growing bewildered. "Hold on! Weren't you going to battle with me?" Ash asked. But, to his dismay, Ash was ignored.

"Come on! My Dewott against your Riolu!" The boy demanded. Both Takeru and Riolu sweat dropped as they slowly nodded. "Um... Sure?" Takeru replied. Don Geprge chuckled with that. "But first! Takeru! I'm going to need you to change!" Don George reminded.

Takeru, Ash, and Iris all looked at Don George in confusion. "Why do I need to change?" Takeru asked. Don George then blazed in determination, shocking everyone. "It's because you're the top Trainer in our Battle Club! You're one of my elite pupil, becoming one of us!" Don George exclaimed.

Takeru twitched in surprise as he was dragged by his mentor. "Up this way!" Don Geprge called. Riolu stayed with Iris as everyone waited for Takeru to change.

Later, Takeru was pushed out, wearing clothes that looked similar to Don George. He had black armbands, sky-blue collar on his black sleeveless shirt, a sky-blue sash, with black shoes, that looked like disciple shoes. "Looking good, Takeru!" Ash exclaimed. Riolu grew amazed as well.

"Big bro, you look like a martial artist!" Riolu barked. Takeru blushed with the statement as Dewott's trainer got impatient. "Come on! Are we going to have a battle or not?" The boy snapped. Takeru gave a sigh and walked to his side. "Fine, fine. You're going to have your battle." Takeru sighed annoyingly.

Dewott's trainer went on the other side as Don George started the battle. "Knock him dead, Takeru!" Ash called. "Pika Pi!" Pikachu cheered. Takeru turned to Riolu, who was next to him. "Ready to go, Riolu?" Takeru asked. _"Yes! I want a battle!" _Riolu barked happily.

He ran to face the boy. "Dewott! Let's go!" The boy called. The Discipline Pokémon appeared, ready for battle. "Wott!" Dewott called. "And begin!" Don George called.

**Trainer: Dewott VS Takeru: Riolu**

"Dewott! Water Gun, let's go!" The trainer called. Dewott shot the Water Type move at Riolu, who swiftly dodged. "Whoa! That's fast!" The trainer called. "Riolu, start with Blaze Kick!" Takeru called. Riolu leapt into the air, kicking Dewott to the ground. Dewott grunted in pain as he took the hit.

"Nice hit, Riolu!" Ash complimented. "Pikachu!" Pikachu called in agreement. "Dewott! Try Razor Shell!" The trainer called. Dewott took his two scalchops, before unleashing them at Riolu. "Dodge with Dig, Riolu!" Takeru called. Riolu quickly evaded it by digging underground.

Dewott looked around, looking for Riolu, until Riolu bashed Dewott into the air from underground. "Dewott, no!" The trainer called. "Wrap this up with ThunderPunch!" Takeru shouted. Riolu ran after Dewott, punching him to the ground. Dewott was smashed to the ground, groaning.

Dewott fainted! "Dewott is unable to battle! The winner is Riolu! Which means the victor goes to Takeru from Nuvema Town!" Don George declared. _"We won, big bro! We won!" _Riolu chirped happily, running to his human brother. Takeru laughed as he hugged his Emanation Pokémon.

**Takeru: Winner!**

Dewott was returned to his Pokéball as the trainer sighed. "I won't forget about this! See ya!" The trainer snapped, running out of the Battle Club. Takeru sweat dropped at the trainer. "Come back anytime... I guess I'll be waiting?" Takeru laughed nervously.

Ash and Pikachu ran over to Takeru, praising him for his battle. "That was amazing, Takeru! You and Riolu really are strong!" Ash exclaimed. "Pika!" Pikachu agreed. Both Takeru and Riolu laughed nervously, hearing those statements. "Well, it was thanks to the training here, I guess..." Takeru chuckled.

_"That's how we keep winning battles!"_ Riolu chirped happily, punching his fist in the air. With the words, Ash grew more pumped. "Awesome! Can Pikachu and I have a battle with you and Riolu next?" Ash asked. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu agreed. Iris ran over, trying to calm the Kanto trainer down.

"Cool it, Ash! Takeru needs to take a break from his first battle right now!" Iris reminded. But, to her surprise, Takeru just waved his hand in reassurance. "I'll be fine, Iris. Riolu is ready for more, obviously." Takeru reassured. _"Yep! I'd like another challenge!" _Riolu chirped happily.

"Seriously?... Oh well, if that's what you want..." Iris sighed, heading back to the sidelines. This made Ash shout out an excited "Yes!", as he and Pikachu faced Takeru and Riolu. But, just before the battle could begin, an alarm went off! Everyone looked up in startle.

Just then, some other of Don George's pupils came by, explaining the news. "Battle manager, sir! It's the emergency alarm!" One student called. "Something's in the storage room!" The second student explained. "It's probably that mysterious Pokémon." The third student guessed.

Don George sighed and nodded. "Right. I'm going to have to suspend your battle for now." Don George sighed. He followed his pupils as Ash grew curious. "Oh man! A mystery Pokémon?" Ash asked. Iris ran over, feeling excited. "How cool is that!?" Iris asked. Riolu crept up to Takeru's shoulder as Takeru rubbed Riolu's head.

"We're just going to have to find out what caused this alarm first." Takeru explained. The two nodded as they all followed Don George and his pupils.

* * *

Later, Takeru, Ash, and Iris followed the pupils and Don George to the storage room, where the pupils investigated. "It doesn't look like much of a stolen." The first pupil stated. Don George nodded as he looked at the security camera at the building. "Hmm... The security camera must've recorded something. Let's review it!" Don George called.

"Sir!" The three pupils agreed.

So, everyone headed to the room where they were able to see with the security cameras. "So? What's going on?" Ash asked. One of the pupils began to find the recording, that had the reason for the alarm. "The food in the storage room has been stolen a lot lately, and an unidentified Pokémon sightings, too." Don George started.

"Which is why this Battle Club had security cameras all over the place." Takeru explained. _"It's so that intruders wouldn't escape that easily!"_ Riolu added, getting on Takeru's head. When Ash heard about a new Pokémon, he grew excited. "Awesome! If it's a new kind of Pokémon, I want to catch it!" Ash exclaimed.

"Such a kid. You can't find a new Pokémon that easily." Iris giggled. Takeru twitched his eyes at that. "You're the one to talk. You were also excited about the new Pokémon as well, so you should be considering yourself a kid as well." Takeru muttered. Iris sweat dropped at that, slumping down.

Fo Ash, he grew disappointed. "Yeah... Guess you're right." Ash mumbled sadly. "But, at the same time, that's what makes it so exciting!" Don George chuckled. Ash smiled, before the pupil called to Don George. "Battle manager, sir! We're ready to go!" The pupil called.

"Good! Let's just see what went on!" Don George called. "Sir. Here it is." The pupil agreed, showing the video. The recording first showed a shadow, escaping form the storage room. At the same time, a couple of people got out, stumbling. It was Team Rocket! "What's that!?" Jessie shrieked.

That's when the alarm went off. "Not good." Jessie muttered. "Exit quick!" James called. The evil trio ran off, making their escape. "Two people?" The pupil asked, surprised. "I know them! Team Rocket!" Ash snapped. "Pika!" Pikachu growled, glaring at where Team Rocket was recorded.

"Who's Team Rocket?" Don George asked. "A group of criminals of the Kato region, who steals Pokémon from other citizens and trainers." Takeru answered, annoyed by their appearance again. "Not them again!" Iris complained. "Axew!" Axew snapped, popping out of Iris's hair.

"Well, the security system caught more than those guys!" Don George stated. Everyone looked back at the video. "I'd like you to play that part of the security tape once more!" Don George called. "Sir!" The pupil agreed, rewinding back to where everyone saw the shadow.

As they came to the shadow part, Ash, Iris, and Taker grew bewildered. "A shadow..." Ash whispered. "Dark and skinny... What kind of Pokémon is that?" Iris asked, thinking of a Pokémon. Ash took out his Pokédex, typing up the description. Ash smiled and showed it to Don George and the others.

"Looks to me like this Pokémon!" Ash chuckled. _"Umbreon, the Moonlight Pokémon, and an evolved form of Eevee. The rings of Umbreon's body glow faintly when exposed to the moon's aura, and gains a mysterious power."_ Ash's Pokédex buzzed. Both Iris and Takeru looked closer to see the Pokémon.

"Wow! That's so cool!" Iris exclaimed. Takeru grew confused, though. "But it can't be. I don't remember meeting an Umbreon in Accumula Town before." Takeru replied in confusion. Don George also made a thought. "But Umbreon don't normally live in the Unova region." Don George replied.

Takeru blinked as a Riolu looked at his human brother curiously. "If we were to discover one, it would be a huge fine!" Don George smirked.

So, with that, everyone headed out to the front entrance, making a plan. "Alright! Let's keep our eyes open and find Umbreon!" Don George called. "Sir!" The thrree students agreed as they ran off into different directions. "Ash! Takeru! What do you say we go and help them out?" Iris suggested.

"Sure! Let's go!" Ash agreed. "I'd like to see whether if it is Umbreom or not, so sure." Takeru agreed. The three trainers nodded as they headed to the storage room to collect some Pokémon food.

As they were putting some Pokémon food on the bowls, they made a track of them in order to catch Umbreon. The bait was set and ready to go. "This should do it. What do you think, Iris? Riolu?" Takeru asked. Iris looked up and smiled. "I think so, too!" Iris agreed. _"It's perfect!"_ Riolu chirped with a smile.

Ash and Pikachu walked out of the storage room, calling to the two trainers. "Hey, Iris! Takeru! I'm done setting up the Pokémon food! Now what?" Ash called. Both trainers made a shusing sound to Ash. "Shh... I think the best thing we can do is split up so we can keep a sharp eye on this place!" Iris suggested.

"Umbreon could be very hungry. So, there's a chance that Umbreon might fall for this." Takeru stated. Iris nodded and made a decision. "I'll be watching from over there! Now, if you two see Umbreon, let me know!" Iris called. She then ran off to find a place to make a stakeout. "I'm planning to catch it, if you don't mind." Iris added, before running back.

Takeru turned to Ash and made his decision. "I'll be over on that side! Let's hope we're successful!" Takeru called. Ash gave a thumbs up and a grin. Takeru smiled, giving it back as he ran to his side for the stakeout.

For Takeru, he ran to one side of the building, preparing for Umbreon to come. He looked down at his Battle Club clothings. "Ugh... Don George just had to make me dress this up with those two around..." Takeru grumbled. _"Well, we are the top members of the Battle Club, aren't we?"_ Riolu asked.

Takeru rubbed Riolu's head with a smile. "Of course we are." Takeru chuckled. Just then, there was a crash noise. This startled Takeru as he and Riolu ran to see what it was. In the storage room, Oshawott was there, eating the bait! "What the... Oshawott!? You pesky Pokémon! These aren't for you! These are for Umbreon!" Takeru snapped angrily.

_"Stop eating the food right now!"_ Riolu barked angrily. Oshawott responded with a blow raspberry, before eating again. Takeru and Riolu twitched with Oshawott's clumsiness as Takeru made the order. "Put him to sleep with Force Palm..." Takeru muttered. Riolu nodded, as he knocked Oshawott down.

Oshawott groaned in pain as he was stopped from eating the Pokémon food. The duo sighed in disappointment as they looked around. Takeru picked Oshawott up, placing him behind the boxes, to prevent him from being seen. "Alright. Now, that's done. I've got to meet up with the others." Takeru whispered.

With that, both Riolu and Takeru ran to find Ash and Iris to see how they're going.

Takeru, Ash, and Iris have arrived at Accumula Town, heading to the Battle Club. Ash and Iris discover Takeru is a top member of the Battle Club, which explains the reason for Riolu learning all the moves. But, when the Battle Club members, and the three trainers discover an unknown Pokémon, everyone sets out to find it.

Is it really Umbreon? Or a different Pokémon? Stay tuned for some more!

To be continued...

**Takeru's Team:**

**Riolu: (M): (Force Palm, Blaze Kick, ThunderPunch, Dig)**

**Joltik: (M): (Electroweb, Electro Ball, String Shot, Signal Beam)**

**Pidove: (M): (Air Cutter, Aerial Ace, Gust, Quick Attack)**


	8. Tepig Heats Things Up!

**Chapter 8: Tepig Heats Things Up!**

Last time on "Pokémon Unova Journey", Takeru, Ash, and Iris have arrived in Accumula Town, much to Ash's despair, since he wanted to challenge the Striaton Gym right away. When Takeru and Iris suggested the Battle Club, they all had many surprises there. Iris and Ash have discovered Takeru is a top member of the Battle Club.

This explained why he was so strong in battles, defeating a trainer with Dewott easily, and beating Ash and Pikachu in the previous days. But, just before Ash's rematch with Takeru could start again, an alarm went off from the Battle Club Storage room. Don George suspects that it's an unknown Pokémon.

Ash makes a guess that it's Umbreon by the the description of his Pokédex. So, with that, everyone makes a plan to find Umbreon, whether if it really is Umbreon or not. What will the current status be right now?

Takeru and Riolu were running to where Ash and Iris could be. As he was running, he heard a voice. "Wait up!" Ash's voice called. The two looked at each other, before nodding that it was Ash. With that, both Riolu and Takeru ran to where they heard the voice, only to run into a Pokémon!

SMACK!

"Gah!" Takeru yelped as he was shoved to the ground. _"Big bro!" _Riolu called, running to the Nuvema boy. Takeru groaned as he got up. "What was that for...? Hm?" Takeru asked, then turned. The Pokémon that smacked into him semed to be running away. "Ash! Takeru! What's going on?" Iris called.

Takeru and Riolu turned to see Ash and Iris coming to their way. "I figured who the mystery Pokémon is!" Ash exclaimed. Iris and Takeru widened his eyes, including Riolu, who grew startled. "Huh!? You did!?" Iris asked. Ash then began to run after the Pokémon. Iris ran after the two, joining in the chase.

"Slow down! I want to catch it!" Iris called. Takeru quickly got up, following the two. "Hold on, you two!" Takeru called. Riolu barked after them as well, as the pursuing continued.

A few minutes has passed as the Pokémon stopped. It ran into a dead end! It was trapped, giving Ash the chance to corner it. Ash crept up to the Pokémon, making assuring sounds. "Don't worry! It's okay! I'm not here to hurt you, really! You don't have to be scared!" Ash promised.

As he got close enough, Ash held up the Pokémon, who flailed against his hold. When Ash brought it to his face, the Pokémon glared at Ash. It blew smoke at Ash's face, much to Iris and Takeru's surprise. As the smoke passed, Ash's face was covered in soot, as he coughed.

"Ugh... Told ya! I won't hurt ya!" Ash grinned. The Pokémon grew startled with Ash's quick recovery. "Tep...pig?" The Pokémon whimpered. "I'll bet you'd like to eat some yummy Pokémon food, right?" Ash asked. The Pokémon slowly nodded, as in beginning to trust Ash.

Ash then got into a sitting position, beginning to work on the right ropes tied around the Pokémon's snout. Takeru and Iris got close enough to see what the Pokémon was. "A Tepig? That's the mysterious Pokémon?" Takeru asked. He took out his Pokédex to scan the Fire Pig.

_"Tepig, the Fire Pig Pokémon. Normally, fire shoots put of Tepig's snout, but it shoots out smoke instead when it is feeling ill."_ Takeru's Pokédex buzzed. Ash began to take some of the ropes off. "I'll get that off of you..." Ash assured. Tepig began to shut his eyes tight, thinking that it could hurt.

Iris blinked in surprise as she got close. "Be gentle. It looks pretty tight." Iris reminded. Ash frowned as he continued to work. "It is! Oh man... Who would do such a terrible thing?" Ash asked, continuing his work. Takeru narrowed his eyes, thinking of a trainer that could abandon Tepig.

Riolu drooped his ears, feeling sorry for the Fire Type. As Tepig's snout was finally free, Ash took out a handkerchief, cleaning Tepig up. Iris brought out another bowl of Pokémon food. "Here!" Iris called. Ash looked at Tepig with a grin. "Great! Now, you eat up!" Ash called.

Tepig nodded and began to eat the food happily. It began to gobble up the Pokémon food as fast as it can. "Whoa! Slow it down there, Tepig!" Takeru warned. _"You're going to get a stomachache if you eat way too fast."_ Riolu warned. Tepig then began to eat a little slower.

Ash petted Tepig's back with a grin. "That's it! Slow is the way to go!" Ash exclaimed. Takeru, Iris, and Riolu smiled at the happy Tepig. The Emanation Pokémon suddenly remembered a part of the past as he tugged on Takeru's pants. The Nuvema boy gave Riolu his attention as Riolu smiled.

_"This is how you saved me, right? From two years ago, big brother?" _Riolu reminded. Takeru smiled soothingly, rubbing on Riolu's head. "Don't worry. I didn't forget. That's when you and I became partners and brothers." Takeru chuckled. Riolu sighed happily, nuzzling Takeru's cheek.

Takeru then stood up, getting ready for the news. "Where are you going?" Iris asked. "I'm going to find Don George and the other pupils! They have to know about this!" Takeru answered. Ash and Iris nodded in agreement. "Okay then! We'll see you back at the entrance of the Battle Club!" Ash exclaimed.

Both Takeru and Riolu nodded as they ran off. The two began to look around for their mentor and the other students. _"I actually really wanted to see Umbreon..."_ Riolu pouted. Takeru smiled at his Pokémon brother. "I can go to the Johto region after the Unova League, Riolu. Then, we can see Umbreon there!" Takeru promised.

Riolu smiled in glee, barking happily. _"That'd be great, big bro!"_ Riolu chirped happily. Takeru smiled at Riolu's happiness, until he heard some crying. Both Riolu and himself stopped at a building, where they peeked to see Don George and the others.

They seemed to have surrounded something. After finding that something, they were sobbing! "To think we found the first Umbreon, the very first Umbreon discovered in the Unova region! I'll never forget this moment!" Don George cried. Riolu widened his eyes. _"Big bro... Did they!?..."_ Riolu asked.

Takeru narrowed his eyes in suspicion. _"This can't be... We found who the mysterious Pokémon is..."_ Takeru thought, making some ideas of how the Umbreon was found. He then peeked at the pupils agin to hear of what they were saying about the Umbreon.

"Sir! This discovery will go down in history!" The first pupil sobbed. "If we catch that Umbreon, we'll be written up in schoolbooks!" The second pupil sobbed. "I'm begging you to go ahead and capture it, battle manager!" The third pupil pleaded. The sobbing caused both Takeru and Riolu to sweat drop.

They walked closer to see of what was surrounded. To the their surprise, the mysterious Pokémon looked like Umbreon, but it was different. This Umbreon was smaller than a normal one. And, it was standing on its hind legs. It looked familiar from yesterday. The Umbreon didn't seem to notice Takeru and Riolu.

It gave a sigh. "They're so happy, and now they're sending me to a serious guilt trip, because I'm leading to those poor guys on like this!" The Umbreon sighed sadly. This had shocked both Takeru and Riolu. _"Brother!?... That Umbreon had just..."_ Riolu panicked. Takeru nodded, surprised as well.

The fake Umbreon walked over to the pupils, clearing his throat. "Excuse me!" The fake called. All the pupils and Don George looked to see the fake. "I hate to take the wind out of your sails, but I'm not Umbreon!" The fake admitted. This made all the pupils and Don George surprised.

Takeru crept a bit closer to see who it really was. "What do you mean?" Don George asked, fake rubbed the charm on his forehead, revealing himself. "See my charm? That proves that I'm just a Meowth, passign by!" Meowth admitted. The name shocked Takeru and Riolu even more.

_"It's Team Rocket's Meowth, brother Takeru!" _Riolu yelped. Takeru nodded and glared at Meowth. For the pupils and Don George, they were really surprised. "It can't be!..." Don George exclaimed. He and the pupils looked at each other, trying to get of what has been said.

Then Don George spoke. "Let me get this straight. You're just a talking Meowth?" Don George asked. Meowth nodded as he began to walk away. "And I hope you guys have a nice day!" Meowth chuckled. But then, Takeru stepped up, along with Riolu. "You won't escape that easily, you furball!" Takeru snapped.

_"You won't get away this time!"_ Riolu growled, getting into a battle position. "Gah!... The Riolu and his twerp!? Aahhhh!" Meowth screamed as he began to run away. "Stop right there!" Takeru demanded. He and Riolu began to pursue Meowth, as Don George and the pupils stared.

"Takeru?..." The pupil asked. Don George fell to his knees, getting frustrated. "You think you found the first Umbreon in the Unova region, but it was nothing but a talking Meowth!" Don George grumbled. That's when the first pupil piped up. "Excuse me, battle manager, sir? Wouldn't a talking Meowth be considered rare as well?" The pupil asked.

The Battle Club manager quickly flew his head up and gasped. "You're right! Rare, indeed!" Don George exclaimed. He turned to see Takeru and Riolu chasing Meowth, until they had vanished from sight. After a moments of silence, Don George cracked up.

"Nooooo!" Don George wailed, sobbing his heart out. The three pupils sobbed along with their mentor. "What have we done, battle manager!? What have we done!?" The pupils sobbed.

**Later...**

The duo was still chasing after Meowth, who began to panic. "Scram! Leave me alone! Haven't you twerp and that Riolu have something better to do!?" Meowth yelled as he picked up the pace. To his dismay, Takeru and Riolu began to come closer to him. "Shut up! We're putting an end to you, right now!" Takeru snapped.

_"So, get back here, you coward!"_ Riolu growled, getting faster. As they were all running, they ran into Jessie and James! "Guys! Help me!" Meowth yelled. The two turned, surprised. "Meowth!? What's going on!?" Jessie shrieked. "It's this Riolu twerp! He's gaining on me!" Meowth exclaimed.

James gritted his teeth in annoyance. "Not you again!" James grunted. Takeru and Riolu skidded to a stop as they both glared at Team Rocket. "I don't know what you three are up to, but I can tell it's nothing good!" Takeru snapped. _"Stop this right now!"_ Riolu barked angrily. Meowth flinched at this.

"Stop what!? I did nothing wrong!" Meowth complained. Just then, there was a muffling voice. "Pi... Pika Pika!" The muffled voice called. Riolu widened his eyes. _"That's Pikachu's voice!" _Riolu gasped. Takeru gritted his teeth. "What did you do to Pikachu!?" Takeru demanded.

Jessie scoffed at the question. "You mean, what has your twerp friend has done with Pikachu!" Jessie retorted. Takeru narrowed his eyes. "What are you talking about!?" Takeru snapped. Without giving an answer, James threw a smoke bomb, causing it to blind Takeru and Riolu's sight.

The two coughed at the smoke bomb. "Ugh! You cowards!" Takeru coughed. Riolu coughed as he concentrated on the aura. In his mind, he saw three red auras running away, with one blue aura captured. _"Brother! They're getting away!"_ Riolu barked. Takeru nodded and coughed again.

As the smoke vanished, Team Rocket was already a distance away. Before they could move, Oshawott ran out of the Storage Room and ran after them. "Oshawott!? Wait up!" Takeru called. Oshawott glanced back at the two, nodding. With that, the three began to chase after Team Rocket.

**Later...**

Team Rocket stopped to see Ash, Iris, and the Battle Club members, along with Don George. "It's the twerps!?" Jessie and James gasped. "Team Rocket!?" Ash growled. "Oh, not you guys again!" Iris snapped. "What bad stuff are you up to this time!?" Ash demanded.

He held the woken up Tepig in his arms, as he glared at the evil trio. James scoffed at the question. "You and your assumptions! Chow!" James snorted. With the words, the evil trio began to make their escape. At the same moment, Takeru, Riolu, and Oshawott ran to stop them. "Ash! Iris! Stop those three!" Takeru yelled.

_"They have Pikachu!" _Riolu called. "Osha Osha Oshawott!" Oshawott called along. Ash and Iris grew surprised at their appearance. "Takeru? Riolu and Oshawott? What are you talking about?" Ash asked. He turned to the retreating evil trio, which they held a black bag. In the bag, Ash heard a familiar voice.

"Pika! Pika pika!" Pikachu's muffled voice called. Ash widened his eyes in surprise. "That voice! Who's that?... Pikachu!" Ash called.

"Who's that? So naive, indeed!"

"We'll answer you, when we feel the need!"

"Bringing white light of evil into the future!"

"Thrusting the hammer of justice onto the black darkness of the universe!"

"Carving our names in the Rock of Eternity!"

"The fiery destroyer, Jessie!"

"And with thunderous emotions, I am James!"

"Wisest of the wise, I'm Meowth!"

"Now gather, under the name of Team Rocket!"

The pupil noticed Meowth with Team Rocket. "It's that talking Meowth!" The first pupil called. "Which means Meowth is one of the bad guys!" Don George stated. Takeru and Riolu sweat dropped at this. "Have you just noticed it, Don George!? Ugh! I just can't believe you!" Takeru scolded.

The manager sweat dropped, apologizing for not noticing. Ash glared at the evil trio. "Give me back Pikachu!" Ash demanded. The evil trio sneered at the Kanto trainer. "Not after you left it in a box!" James retorted.

"How could you abandon your Pokémon? We just saved Pikachu from harm, from the trainer of the lowest order!" Jessie explained. "And that gives us the order's right!" James sneered. Takeru took out a Pokéball, as Ash gritted his teeth. "You're wrong again! Oshawott! Use Water Gun!" Ash called.

"Pidove! Use Air Cutter, quick!" Takeru called. The ball opened, showing the Tiny Pigeon Pokémon. Pidove and Oshawott shot their special attacks, after Meowth took out a remote. He pressed on a button, creating a force field! The force field repelled the attacks, making them useless.

The field began to carry Team Rocket away. "Argh. Come back!" Ash yelled. He began to run after the field, with Takeru and Riolu following. "We're booked up! Goodbye, twerp!" James laughed. "Why you... Ah!" Ash yelped. He slipped on the puddle that was from Oshawott's Water Gun.

Takeru stopped to help Ash up, as Ash looked at the floating field. "Urgh... Pikachu!" Ash yelled. "Oh no, Ash! Takeru!" Iris gasped. Ash slumped down as Takeru glared at the field. "Pidove! Use Air Cutter one more time!" Takeru called. Pidove nodded and shot his attack at the field.

"Not so fast!" Meowth smirked. He controlled the field to dodge the Air Cutter Attack. Both Takeru and Pidove grew surprised with the dodge. Just then, after the miss, Tepig jumped out of Ash's arms. "Pig Tepig!" Tepig called. Both boys grew confused of what the Fire Type said, until Ash grinned.

"Ah... Tepig. You want to help out?" Ash asked. Tepig nodded, with his tail wagging. "Tepig!" Tepig replied. Takeru and Riolu smiled as Takeru returned Pidove with thanks. "Alright! Tepig! Use Ember!" Ash called. Tepig leapt up, and shot the Fire Type move at the floating field.

The evil trio gasped as th Ember made a direct hit at the force field. It exploded as Pikachu was out of the bag. "Pika!?" Pikachu called in surprise. Ash gasped and began to run for his Electric Type. "Pikachu, no!" Ash called. Pikachu wailed as he began to fall on the ground.

Ash ran and caught Pikachu, skidding on his back. Ash grunted as he got up, with Takeru and Riolu following them. As he and Pikachu were face to face, Ash smiled happily. "Pikachu!" Ash exclaimed. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu replied, nuzzling Ash on the cheek.

Takeru sighed in relief as Riolu smiled in a silly way. Just then, both boys and the four Pokémon looked up to see Team Rocket retreating. They flew away on their hang gliders. As they were out of sight, Ash gritted his teeth in frustration. "Team Rocket burns me up!" Ash snapped.

Takeru frowned to where they had vanished. They had escaped, once again. The thought of them escaping multiple times made Takeru shook his head in annoyance. "One day, those three will pay for what they've done." Takeru assured. _"Brother?" _Riolu asked.

Takeru smiled, looking down at Riolu, promising that it was nothing. Riolu grinned and nuzzled Takeru again by the cheeks. Tepig then walked by, smiling at Ash. "Tepig. Tepig!" Tepig replied happily. Ash smiled, putting Pikachu down. He looked at the Fire Type with thanks.

"Tepig! Thanks a lot! You helped save Pikachu!" Ash thanked. "Tepig!" Tepig beamed, proud of itself for the thanks. Just as the thanks was done, Iris came over, smiling at the Fire Pig Pokémon. "I've got to say, Tepig! You're such a cutie! Hee hee! You're so pudgy wudgy!" Iris giggled.

Tepig frowned, not liking it when Iris stretched his face in a funny way. Takeru and Riolu sweat dropped at that as well. "Some things never change..." Takeru whispered. _"Iris is acting more like a kid..." _Riolu mumbled. Iris then got up, taking out an empty Pokéball. "You know what? I think I'd like to catch you!" Iris explained.

But, to her dismay, Tepig shook his head and looked at Ash. "Tepig Tepig Tepig!" Tepig explained. Ash grew confused as Don George laughed, coming over. "Ha ha ha! It appears Tepig as chosen Ash as its trainer!" Don George laughed. Takeru blinked in surprise, looking at Tepig.

He then smiled, knowing of what Don George had meant. "After all of its hardships, Tepig knows a great trainer when it sees one! Raise Tepig well, Ash!" Don George chuckled. Ash grew surprised, before looking at the Fire Type with a smile. "So, Tepig! Wanna come with me?" Ash asked.

"Tepig!" Tepig nodded happily. Ash then got up, putting his cap on. "Awesome! Alright, Pokéball! Let's go!" Ash called. The Pokéball bounced on Tepig, before sucking him in. The ball shook for a moment, before stopping. It showed that Ash had caught a Tepig. "Alright! I've caught a Tepig!" Ash exclaimed.

He held the ball high in the air, as Pikachu and Oshawott cheered along. "So, I think we should challenge the Striaton Gym with our new friend, Tepig!" Ash exclaimed. "Pika!" "Osha Oshawott!" Oshawott agreed, cheering for the incoming Gym battle. "You're not the only one ready, Ash." Takeru smirked.

Ash grinned, turning to Takeru. "Riolu and my other Pokémon are ready for the first challenge as well. So, let's both get ready!" Takeru explained. Ash nodded in agreement. "Right!" Ash agreed. Then, the Kanto trainer made a confused face as he looked down at Pikachu.

"Pikachu? Remember what Team Rocket told me? So, what were you doing inside a box?" Ash asked. With the question, Pikachu tried to explain, giving Ash some signs and calling. But, to Pikachu's dismay, Ash didn't seem to understand any of it. Takeru then glared at the Sea Otter Pokémon.

Riolu also looked to see that Oshawott was starting to sweat. "Ash. You should be asking Oshawott that question!" Takeru scolded. Ash blinked in surprise as he turned to Oshawott. The Water Type began to sweat even more as he began to run away. "Ah! Get back here! Oshawott!" Takeru yelled.

_"You're getting your punishment, whether you like it or not!"_ Riolu yelled, as he and Takeru began to make another chase, this time at Oshawott. They left Ash, Iris, and Pikachu in a confused matter.

The mystery has been solved, and the suspect turned out to be Tepig. Team Rocket nearly got away with Pikachu and all, but thanks to Takeru and Ash, their plan has been foiled once again. What will their next adventure in Unova will be like? Stay tuned for some more!

To be continued...

**Takeru's Team:**

**Riolu: (M): (Force Palm, Blaze Kick, ThunderPunch, Dig)**

**Joltik: (M): (Electro Ball, Signal Beam, String Shot, Electroweb)**

**Pidove: (M): (Air Cutter, Gust, Aerial Ace, Quick Attack)**


	9. The Striaton Gym Battle! Pt 1

**Chapter 9: The Striaton Gym Battle! Pt. 1**

"I can see Striaton City! My first Unova Gym battle!" Ash exclaimed. "Pika!" Pikachu agreed. Ash was running up a hill, on where he could see a new city in view. Takeru and Riolu walked by, standing besides Ash. "Well, it was worth it coming here." Takeru stated. _"Yep! Our first Gym battle will be there!"_ Riolu chirped happily.

The Nuvema boy had changed back to his original journey clothes, keeping his Battle Club clothes in his backpack.

Takeru smiled at Riolu's eagerness as he smoothed his head. Riolu sighed happily with the smooth petting. Ash turned to the Nuvema boy and Pikachu. "Let's both give it all we've got! Alright!" Ash exclaimed. He let out a happy jump, before racing down the hill. The duo watched as Ash and Pikachu ran down.

The two sweat dropped at their energy and both ran after them. "Slow down, Ash! The Gym won't be going anywhere!" Takeru called. _"Pikachu! Wait up!" _Riolu called.

Later, Takeru and Riolu looked around to see if Ash or Iris was around. "Damn it! I just know that I saw Ash coming this way!" Takeru grumbled. _"Are we lost, big bro?"_ Riolu asked, his ears drooping. Takeru shook his head with a smile.

"No, we're not, Riolu. We've been to Striaton City before! The Gym should be close by!" Takeru explained. Riolu seemed to accept it as he nodded with a grin. So, the two walked around the city, heading for the Striaton Gym. As they arrived there, they saw three familiar people.

"I finally caught up to you! Ash! Iris!" Takeru panted. He and Riolu ran to where the two was. Ash and Iris turned to see their Nuvema boy friend running by. "Takeru! Where were you?" Iris asked. "Man! You seemed so slow!" Ash taunted. "Pikachu." Pikachu agreed, snickering.

Takeru grew ticked off as he glared at Ash and Pikachu. "For your information, Ash Ketchum, you were too speedy, and pumped up for your Gym battle, that I couldn't even keep up with you!" Takeru argued. _"Yeah! You were going too fast!" _Riolu barked angrily. Iris laughed nervously at that.

"That's Ash, alright. He's always acting like a kid!" Iris giggled. That's when the green haired teen turned to see Takeru. "Well well! Long time no see, Takeru! Riolu!" The teen replied with a bright smile. Ash and Iris grew alarmed to see that the teen knew Takeru and Riolu.

"It's been a while. Great to see you in perfect shape, Cilan." Takeru greeted, smiling at his green haired friend. Ash grew confused with Cilan and Takeru's knowledge of each other. "Do you two know each other?" Ash asked. Cilan laughed with a thought of a great memory.

"Well, he is one of our best customers, coming into our restaurant, ordering our special lunch specials, that is!" Cilan explained. The words lunch and restaurant left Ash and Iris confused. As they were confused, Cilan turned to Takeru. "So! I assume you're here for the same reason with Ash?" Cilan asked.

Riolu nodded happily. _"Yeah? We're here for our first Gym battle!" _Riolu barked happily. Takeru chuckled at Riolu's excitement and agreed. "What Riolu said. We're here for a Gym battle. Just like with Ash." Takeru explained. Cilan smiled, understanding the reason. "Alright then! Well, right here is the Gym!" Cilan presented.

He revealed a large building, that had a Pokémon Gym symbol at the front entrance. For Ash, he was excited. "Awesome! Yes!" Ash exclaimed. He ran to the entrance of the Gym. As he opened the large doors, he let out a determined call. "Let's battle!" Ash hollered out. But, to his surprise, it didn't seem like a Gym.

Iris, Cilan, and Takeru came inside to see that Ash was confused. "Huh? Hold on..." Ash stuttered. "This is the Striaton Gym?" Iris asked. Cilan and Takeru looked at each other, smiling as if they were doing their plan. Just as Ash and Iris grew more confused, two waiters came by.

One of them had red hair, bow tie, and eyes. The other had blue hair, eyes, and the bow tie. "Hi! Welcome!" The red haired greeted. "Welcome, friends!" The blue haired greeted. "Please! Make yourself at home!" Cilan called. He pushed Ash to one of the restaurant tables.

"Huh? But..." Ash started, but as interrupted. Ash was forced to sit down on a chair as Takeru and Iris sat next to him. "Comfy?" Cilan asked. Before Ash could answer, the two waiters waited for Ash's lunch orders. "So, are you all ready to order?" The red haired asked. "May I start you off with something to drink?" The blue haired asked.

Ash put his hands up, declining the offer. "No thanks... I think..." Ash started, but was yet again, interrupted. "Change your mind? I highly recommend the Soda Pop." The blue haired assured. Ash shook his head, frowning. "No thanks. Not thirsty!" Ash argued.

Takeru looked at Iris and Axew. "Uh... Do you want to drink or eat something?" Takeru asked, sweat dropping. Iris smiled and shook her head. "No thanks. I'm fine." Iris answered. "Axew ew ew!" Axew agreed along. Takeru looked up at Riolu, who blinked. _"I'd like something to drink, brother."_ Riolu replied.

Takeru looked up at his Fighting Type and smiled. "What drink?" Takeru asked. Riolu made some thoughts before making the decision. _"Lemonade!"_ Riolu chirped with eager. Takeru nodded as he turned to Cilan. "Cilan? Could we have two Lemonades?" Takeru asked.

Cilan smiled and nodded. "Sure thing! Two Lemonades coming right up!" Cilan called. He ran to the kitchen, preparing to get the two drinks. As for Ash, he was still being asked and recommended by the two waiters. "Alright. We have a recently prized lunch menu!" The red haired explained.

Ash held his hands up again, declining. "Not hungry, either!" Ash protested. Even with the declining, the two waiters kept on their pestering recommendations about their special drinks and food. As they were continuing, some girls at the other table glanced at Ash.

"Who's that little boy?" One girl whispered. "Not too cool!" Another girl giggled.

Takeru heard the girls, though, sighing. Just as the waiters were about to make more suggestions, Ash let out an angry yell. "Argh... AH! TAKERU AND I JUST WANT TO HAVE A STRIATON CITY GYM BATTLE!" Ash bellowed. Everyone widened their eyes in surprise, of hearing the loud noise.

Takeru and Iris both covered their ears, protecting their hearings from Ash's scream. The blue and red haired waiters stepped back in surprise as Cilan arrived with the two Lemonades. He had arrived just in time to hear Ash's loud demand. Immediately, after Ash made the demand, the girls let out a big squeal.

"Gym Battle!?" The girls repeated happily. Ash grew annoyed as he stood up from his chair. "That's what I said!... I'm thinking this is a good time to go." Ash sighed. He began to leave the table, heading for the exit. "Come on, Pikachu." Ash called. "Pika." Pikachu replied.

The two began to leave the restaurant, when Cilan called to him. "Just a minute!" Cilan called. Ash stopped abruptly, turning to see that the lights had turned off. The Kanto trainer watched as Cilan, and the two waiters walk near a wall, creating a line formation. "Alright then, Ash! I'll grant your request!" Cilan chuckled.

The girls let out a squeal, happy to see Cilan. Spotlights appeared on the three waiters as the blue haired and the red haired made their words. "So, you and Takeru are challengers! Then, you'll receive a welcome as pleasant and hot as the noon day sun!" The red haired exclaimed.

He turned, making a determined grin and fist. More girls cheered for the red haired. "What a dreamboat!" One girl sighed happily. The blue haired waiter then shook his head. "No. I think we should be cool! Like a refreshing glass of water. Chill, of course." The blue haired suggested.

This time, all of the girls in the restaurant let out a dreaming sigh. "I can't believe this time, we get to see two battles today!" One girl sighed. "Yeah. It's like the happiest days of my life!" The second girl sighed with a soft smile. "I can't wait to see it!" The third girl replied, excited.

Ash blinked his eyes in confusion as Takeru sat down next to Iris at their table. He took one of the glass of Lemonade, handing one to Riolu. The Emanation Pokémon took a big drink. The Nuvema boy then took his Lemonade, and began drinking his. "Is this how they did it to you?" Iris asked.

Takeru shook his head, turning to Iris. "Never during the start of the Gym battle. They always give me their lunch specials, because my dad pays for it every time I visit here!" Takeru explained. Iris blunked in surprise. "Gym Battle? Wait... So, is this!?..." Iris stuttered.

"Pikachu? What are they talking about?" Ash asked, bewildered. "Pika?" Pikachu asked, also confused. To give the answer, the three waiters stood together.

Cilan- "This is the Striaton Gym!"

Red haired- "And the three of us..."

Blue haired- "We're triplet brothers!"

All- "And we're the Gym Leaders!"

Iris grew more surprised with this. "Three brothers? And all three of them are Gym Leaders?" Iris asked, surprised. "Axew?" Axew asked, curious. She turned to Takeru as he had finished his sweet drink. Riolu had finished his drink, too, with the Nuvema boy taking the glass, and putting the two on the table.

"Right! We know Cilan, who is green haired. Chili is the red headed one. And finally, there is Cress. The blue haired one!" Takeru explained. _"The three of them are all waiters, brothers, and Gym Leaders!"_ Riolu explained, though only Takeru understood.

Back to the the trio Leaders, they made a pose. "Now, it's..." Cilan started. "Showtime!" The triplets called. The wall behind them opened up a new room. Ash grew amazed as the wall opened, revealing... A battlefield! Takeru and Riolu walked besides Ash and Pikachu, who were both amazed.

"Amazing, is it?" Takeru asked. Ash glanced at Takeru and nodded lightly. "Pika..." Pikachu replied, amazed.

Later, the three Gym Leaders, Takeru, and Ash were at the battlefield. The girls in the restaurant became cheerleaders as Iris followed, seeing to watch the Gym battle. "Let's watch!" Iris said to Axew. "Ax!" Axew agreed, popping out of her hair. Down at the battlefield, Ash looked around.

The battlefield was huge. And the field looked like a Rock Type field. Takeru glanced at Cilan, Chili, and Cress as they began their explanation. "So, now is the time for the both of you to select your battle opponent!" Cilan reminded. Ash turned to the three Gym Leaders, startled.

"I'm choosing?" Ash asked. Takeru walked next to Ash, correcting him. "_We're _both choosing of who we're battling, Ash." Takeru corrected. "That's correct! Me, or Chili, or Cress! You two can battle any one of us! Our rule states that if you're victorious against the one you choose, then you will earn the Trio Badge!" Cilan explains.

"Of course, Takeru should already know that, since he watched us battle many times before!" Chili smirked. Takeru and a Riolu both gave an embarrassed look to the smirking trio, as Ash grew more amazed.

Then, Chili brought out a Pokéball. "Time to meet our Pokémon partners! The heat's on!" Chili called. He threw the ball, which opened. The Pokéball sent out a red monkey Pokémon. "Here's the Pokémon I'll be using! Make a splash!" Cress called. He threw his Pokéball, revealing his Pokémon.

The form took place as a blue monkey Pokémon. "And it's my turn! My... partner!" Cilan called. He threw his own Pokéball, revealing a green monkey Pokémon. Ash grew surprised with the three monkey Pokémon. "Huh? Whoa! What kind of Pokémon are those!?" Ash asked, surprised.

He took out his Pokédex to scan the red monkey, as Takeru scanned the green and blue monkeys._ "Pansear, the High Temp Pokémon. Pansear lives in caves near volcanoes. The temperature on the tuft on its head can reach 600 degrees when it's angry." _Ash's Pokédex buzzed.

_"Pansage, the Grass Monkey Pokémon. Pansage offers leaves on its head to Pokémon that have low energy. The leaves relieve stress."_

_"Panpour, the Spray Pokémon. Panpour lived in forests long ago, but developed a body that makes it easy to live near water. It can store water in the tufts on its head." _Takeru's Pokédex buzzed. Ash looked at the three Pokémon with a grin.

"There's Pansear, a Fire Type. Pansage, a Grass Type, and finally, Panpour! A Water Type! Any one of them would be a great opponent!" Ash admitted. Takeru looked at the three, then looked at the three Gym Leaders. _"Choosing one opponent might be a difficult choice to make..."_ Takeru thought.

That's when the trio crowded around both Ash and Takeru. "So, Ash! Takeru! Will your choice will be to battle with me?" Cilan asked. "Or me! It'd be a distinct honor!" Chili assured. "I must confess, I wouldn't really mind if you were to battle with me!" Cress assured.

Takeru sweat dropped, along with Riolu. "Uh... This is..." Takeru stammered, looking from one Gym Leader to another. But then, Ash walked at the center of the battlefield, grinning at the three brothers. "Well, the truth is, I want to battle all of you!" Ash explained. That left everyone surprised.

Both Iris and Takeru grew surprised as well. "Did Ash really mean all three?!" Iris asked. Ash and Pikachu both looked at the three Gym Leaders with determination. "This is my first Gym battle ever since I came to the Unova region! I want to battle as many new Pokémon as I can! So, please say yes." Ash explained.

He bowed his head down, pleading for the three to accept. "Pika Pika." Pikachu pleaded as well. Cilan grew unsure as he looked at Takeru. "Well, what do you think of this, Takeru?" Cilan asked. Takeru blinked several times before letting out a huge sigh.

"Well, to be honest, I did want to battle all three of you as well. Battling only one of you seemed like a bore and a tough choice to make. So, like what Ash said, I also would like to have a battle with all of you... If that's possible." Takeru admitted, smiling softly. _"Please say yes."_ Riolu replied.

Cilan looked at Chili and Cress, who were both stunned by the decision. "Well well now! I don't think we've ever met trainers quite like the two of you before! What do we do?" Cilan asked. He turned to his brothers, as Chili made his opinion.

"Ash certainly has an interesting idea! I, for one don't have any problems with it!" Chili replied. "Takeru would have a stress out for choosing one of us to battle with. Then, I suggest we come up with a brand new rule, stating two wins in our Gym will earn both Ash and Takeru the Striaton Gym Badges!" Cress suggested.

Cilan smiled as he turned back to the two trainers and their Pokémon. "So, how does that sound to the two of you?" Cilan asked. Ash got up from his bow and grinned. "Great! Thanks very much for the chance!" Ash thanked happily.

"Thanks. Really." Takeru added with a thanking smile. Riolu nodded with a happy chirp, excited for the Gym battle. So, with that, Cilan and Pansage got on the referee stand, as Cress and Chili looked at Ash and Takeru. "So, who will be battling us first?" Cress asked.

Before Ash could pipe up his answer, Takeru made the answer. "I'll be taking the challenge, if you don't mind." Takeru answered. "What!? Oh man..." Ash groaned. Iris giggled at Ash's disappointment. "Ash... Let Takeru have a try! You're such a kid!" Iris smirked.

"Axew ew!" Axew agreed, smirking. Cress smiled and walked to his side of the battlefield. "Alright then. Your first opponent will be me, then!" Cress replied. He and Panpour faced Takeru and Riolu. Takeru smirked as he looked at Riolu. "So, Riolu! Want to give it a first try?" Takeru asked.

_"Yeah! I want to go first in the battle!"_ Riolu exclaimed, running to the field to face the Spray Pokémon. With that, Cilan began the rules. "Attention! Today for the Striaton Gym, we have Takeru the challenger, versus Cress, the Gym Leader! Only one Pokémon each! And, when either side is unable to battle, the match is over!" Cilan explained.

The cheerleaders began to cheer for the Water Type user. "Let's go, Cress. All the way! Win this battle, yay!" The girls cheered. "And, begin!" Cilan declared.

**Cress: Panpour VS Takeru: Riolu**

"You may go first, as the challenger!" Cress called. Takeru smirked, and made the order. "Thanks! Riolu! Start this off with a quick ThunderPunch!" Takeru called. Riolu nodded and chased towards Panpour. Cress' eyes glinted with mischief and a sneer.

"I don't think so! Panpour, use Scratch!" Cress called. Panpour lunged at Riolu, and began slashing the Emanation Pokémon. Riolu yelped in pain as he was sent slashing toward the ground. Takeru narrowed his eyes at this. "Stay strong, Riolu! Use ThunderPunch, again!" Takeru called.

Riolu then opened his eyes in determination, as he quickly countered back with the physical Electric Type move. Panpour let out a shriek as he was punched to the air. "Panpour! Get a hold of yourself and use Water Gun!" Cress shouted. Panpour flipped in the air, before shooting Water Gun.

"Dodge, then use Dig!" Takeru called. Riolu swiftly dodged the Water Type attack, and dug underground. Cress smirked with this, though. "Use Water Gun on the holes!" Cress called. Takeru widened his eyes as Panpour shot the move at Dig.

Riolu let out a surprised wail as he was forced from underground. "Hang in there, Riolu! Blaze Kick to pay them back!" Takeru called. Riolu also flipped in the air, as he slammed his feet at Panpour's stomach. "Poooouurr!" Panpour shrieked as he was kicked to the ground.

"You can do it, Riolu!" Ash cheered. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu cheered along. "Keep fighting, Riolu!" Iris called. "Axew!" Axew called along. Takeru focused more and more as Riolu kept his strength up. Cress frowned, knowing that the battle wasn't going to his advantage. "You and Riolu are both strong, I see." Cress stated.

"There's more to where that came from! Riolu! Force Palm!" Takeru called. Riolu ran to strike at Panpour again. "Intercept with Double Team, Panpour!" Cress called. Clones of Panpour appeared, all confusing Riolu. Riolu widened his eyes in surprise as he looked around.

"Use this chance to use Scratch!" Cress shouted. The copies disappeared as Panpour scratched Riolu multiple times. The cheerleaders cheered even louder for Cress to win. Takeru took a deep breath, then made the order. "Riolu! Dig, once more!" Takeru called.

Riolu dug underground again, leaving Cress to smirk. "The same thing will happen again! Use Water Gun on the hole, Panpour!" Cress called. The Spray Pokémon shot the hole with Water Gun, as Takeru saw this chance. "Do it! Force Palm!" Takeru called. Cress widened his eyes as the field dimly glowed.

The ground under Panpour exploded, leaving the Water Type to scream in pain. Riolu had punched Panpour from underground, leaving him vulnerable. "Finish it with ThunderPunch!" Takeru called. Riolu shot down, smashing Panpour to the ground with the Electric Type move.

"Panpour, no!" Cress yelled. As the dust cleared, Panpour was shown groaning, as his eyes swirled. Panpour fainted! "Panpour is unable to battle! Riolu wins! Which means the first match goes to Takeru!" Cilan declared. "Alright! Nice work, Riolu!" Takeru encouraged. _"I won the first match!"_ Riolu chirped happily.

**Takeru: 1 Win**

**Cress, Chili, Cilan: 0 Win**

Riolu leapt into Takeru's arms as the Fighting Type hugged his human brother. "I'm proud of you, Riolu. You did great!" Takeru complimented. Ash and Iris grew amazed with the battle. "Wow! Takeru did it! Riolu as pretty strong!" Ash exclaimed. "That was some battle!" Iris stated.

"Pika..." "Axew." Pikachu and Axew agreed in amazement.

With that, Cilan walked to the Leader's side, as he and Pansage faced Takeru and Riolu. "Alright then! Your next opponent will be me!" Cilan replied, smiling at the Nuvema boy. Takeru smirked as he petted Riolu. "Riolu, take a nice rest for a while. And watch as my other Pokémon win this battle." Takeru replied.

Riolu nodded with a happy chirp. "Alright, big bro." Riolu obeyed, standing next to his human brother on the battle box. With that, Takeru took out a Pokéball, and threw it in the air. "Joltik, I need your help!" Takeru called. The Pokéball released the Electric-Bug Type, who was ready to battle.

Iris blinked in surprise of seeing Joltik. "Joltik? Against Pansage?" Iris questioned. Cilan smiled at the new Pokémon. "Ah, Joltik. Using a type advantage, since a Bug Type like Joltik has an advantage over Pansage, a Grass Type! Not a bad choice, Takeru." Cilan complimented.

Chili went to the referee box, refereeing the battle. "Alright then! The second match will be between Takeru, the challenger, and Cilan, the Gym Leader! The same rules apply! And, begin!" Chili explained.

**Cilan: Pansage VS Takeru: Joltik**

"Joltik, start this off with String Shot!" Takeru called. Joltik shot a string, aiming it at Pansage. "Dodge, then use Bite, Pansage!" Cilan called. Pansage swiftly dodged String Shot, and bit Joltik hard! Joltik let out a tiny cry of pain, as Takeru flinched. "Joltik! Charge Pansage with Electro Ball!" Takeru called.

Joltik started to generate enough power to shock Pansage with Electro Ball. However, Cilan managed to see through it. "I don't think so! Release Joltik, and use Bullet Seed!" Cilan called. Pansage released Joltik from its mouth and shot speeding seeds at Joltik.

Joltik grew startled as he was hit by the multiple seeds. "Stay strong, Joltik! Use Electroweb, now!" Takeru called. Joltik ran as he shot electricity webs, shooting it at Pansage. "Be careful, Pansage! Dodge, and use Dig!" Cilan warned. The Grass Monkey Pokémon dodged the webs and dug underground.

Takeru narrowed his eyes as he made the next move. "Signal Beam on the hole!" Takeru yelled. Joltik scurried to the hole, and shot the powerful Bug Type move at the hole where Pansage had dug. A glowing explosion occurred, blasting Pansage out. "Pansage, no!" Cilan gasped.

Chili and Cress gasped along, with the girls shrieking. "What power! Joltik sure is strong, despite of his size..." Iris admitted. "Go! Joltik!" Ash cheered. "Pika!" Pikachu cheered along. Cilan smirked as he adjusted his bow. "Alright then! It's... Evaluation Time!" Cilan exclaimed.

All the girls began to squeal, excited to hear the evaluation. Both Ash and Iris blinked of what Cilan is about to say. "Here we go... Another one of Cilan's evaluations..." Takeru sighed. "Jol?" Joltik asked, tilting his head in confusion.

"Mm hm! It seems that I can see between you and Joltik, there is a half-bitter, and a half-sweet flavor in your recipe! From the looks of it, it seems even in a short amount of time, you only made half of a bond with Joltik!" Cilan explained. The words 'half of a bond' ticked Takeru off.

"Half of a bond, huh? What makes you say that?" Takeru demanded. Cilan then explained the matter. "See for yourself! Joltik has not yet learned everything about you, and has a little spice of doubt in your recipe of battling! More likely a bittersweet flavor, if you ask me." Cilan explained.

The girls squealed of hearing the evaluation, cheering for Cilan and Pansage for even more. "And further, you can see that me and Pansage have a big bond, by the way we battle with our ingredients! The flavor in our chance of winning is no doubt, overpowering your half bond with Joltik with ours!" Cilan explained.

He and Pansage made some poses, to prove their point. Iris sweat dropped at this. "Is this how a Connoisseur performs his or her evaluation? It doesn't seem to be that much of interest." Iris mumbled. "Axew..." Axew agreed.

"Whatever the case is, I know that Joltik is going to win! I can feel it!" Ash replied. "How can you say that by just seeing it? You're such a kid!" Iris teased. Ash grew ticked off as he ignored Iris and continued watching the battle.

Takeru gave a sigh, and a shook of his head. "Cilan, your evaluation does make a point for you and Pansage, but it doesn't prove a thing to me and Joltik! Just because we haven't known each other that much, doesn't mean we're going to lose! Anyone can make a huge bond, even when the time together is short." Takeru explained.

He and Joltik looked at each other, as they both grinned. "Joltik and I have been training for this, since we both knew of what kind of battle it was going to be. I can obviously tell that your evaluation has some errors in it!" Takeru explained. Cilan grew startled with the change of personality, but smiled.

"Alright then! Prove that you're strong enough to overpower me and Pansage! Pansage, use Bullet Seed!" Cilan called. Pansage once again shot the seeds at Joltik, who got ready. "Joltik! Counter with Electro Ball!" Takeru yelled. The electricity charged ball collided with the Bullet Seeds.

It caused an explosion, as smoke covered the battlefield. "Perfect! Now, that the timing is right, I'll end my with this ingredient in hand! Solarbeam!" Cilan called. Ash gasped with that. "Pansage can use Solarbeam!?" Ash exclaimed. "Pika!?" Pikachu exclaimed.

Pansage absorbed some of the power from the sunlight and shot the powerful Grass Type move at Joltik. "Joltik! Counter with Signal Beam!" Takeru yelled. Joltik intercepted Solarbeam with the Bug Type move, causing another explosion. But, to Cilan and everyone else's surprise, Signal Beam made it past Solarbeam.

The move blasted Pansage into the air. "Pansage!" Cilan gasped. Takeru narrowed his eyes and made the finishing move. "Now's your chance to use Electro Ball, Jolitk!" Takeru yelled. Joltik charged quick, shooting the ball at Pansage. Pansage screamed in pain as he was shocked by the move.

The dust cleared as everyone turned to the battlefield. Pansage was groaning, not moving. Joltik stood, jumping up and down happily for the win. "Ah!" Cilan gasped. "Pansage is unable to battle! Joltik wins, which means the winner of the Gym battle is Takeru!" Chili declared.

**Takeru: 2 Wins**

**Cilan, Chili, Cress: 0 Wins**

**Winner: Takeru**

Joltik jumped happily, leaping onto Takeru's head. "Great, Joltik! Thanks for making a battle!" Takeru thanked. "Joltik!" Joltik buzzed happily. Iris and Ash grew amazed and happy for their friend. "Wow! Takeru did it! He actually won!" Iris exclaimed. "Axew! Axew!" Axew exclaimed happily.

"That was an intense battle! Amazing!" Ash exclaimed. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu agreed happily. Cilan thanked Pansage as he returned him to his Pokéball. "Thanks for a great battle, Pansage. You go and have a nice rest!" Cilan thanked. He stood up and smiled at Takeru.

"You really are strong. Guess I didn't really stand a chance against you and your Pokémon!" Cilan chuckled. With that, he and the two brothers all walked over to Takeru, carrying a small, black tray, that had a shiny badge, which had red, green, and blue colors on them.

"To prove that you were victorious against us, we present you... The Trio Badge!" Cilan explained. Takeru took it with a smile. "Thanks. All of you. I had a great battle!" Takeru admitted. He then showed the badge to Riolu and Joltik. "Check this out, you two! It's our very first Unova Gym Badge!" Takeru exclaimed.

Both Riolu and Joltik cheered for their first achievement as Takeru placed the badge in his jacket pocket. Ash came by, as the triplets turned to the Kanto trainer. "Well, you're next! Hopefully, you will win the same method with Takeru!" Chili chuckled. Ash grinned and made a determined fists and face.

"Yeah! And I intend to win it!" Ash exclaimed. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu agreed.

So, Takeru, Ash, and Iris all have finally arrived in Striaton City, for Takeru and Ash's Gym battle. Takeru had won his two battles against Cress and Cilan, earning the Trio Badge. Now, it's Ash's turn to win his Gym battle! Will Ash succeed, or will have to come again for his rematch? Stay tuned for some more!

**Takeru's Team:**

**Riolu: (M): (Force Palm, Blaze Kick, ThunderPunch, Dig)**

**Joltik: (M): (Electro Ball, Electroweb, String Shot, Signal Beam)**

**Pidove: (M): (Air Cutter, Gust, Quick Attack, Aerial Ace)**

Next chapters:

**Chapter 10: The Striaton Gym Battle! Pt. 2**

**Chapter 11: Questions And Dreams!**

**Chapter 12: Munna and Musharna!**

**Chapter 13: Ash VS Snivy! The Chase!**

**Chapter 14: Snivy's Test**


	10. The Striaton Gym Battle! Pt 2

**Chapter 10: The Striaton Gym Battle! Pt. 2**

Last time on "Pokémon Unova Journey", Takeru, Ash, and Iris were finally at Striaton City, where they met Cilan, who led them at a building which was known as the famous restaurant and the Striaton City Gym!

When Ash demanded a Gym Battle, it was revealed that Cilan, Chili, and Cress were brothers of the Gym, being three Gym Leaders at one Gym! Takeru had taken the challenge first, taking on Cress and Cilan.

Riolu and Joltik managed to defeat Panpour and Pansage, earning Takeru the Trio Badge! Now, it's Ash's turn to see whether he's up for a triple Gym challenge or not!

Soon, after Takeru's challenge, Ash was at the battlefield, facing Chili and Pansear as Takeru, Iris, Riolu, and Axew watched. "Alright! First, you'll battle with Chili! And that's me!" Chili called out. "Pansear!" Pansear agreed.

"It's a real honor, Chili!" Ash exclaimed. "Pikachu!" Pikachu replied, facing the two. "Attention! For our first battle today at the Striaton Gym! It's Ash, the challenger, and Chili, the Gym Leader!" Cilan announced.

"Only one Pokémon each! And when either side is unable to battle, the match is over!" Cilan announced. The cheerleading girls cheered for the Fire Type Gym Leader, as Iris only watched in amusement.

Takeru and Riolu stood next to Cilan, watching the battle. _"Big bro, do you think Ash might win this?"_ Riolu asked. Takeru smiled, petting Riolu's head. "It'll all depend as the battle goes on." Takeru assured.

Riolu accepted the fact as he watched the battle. "Alright! I'll be turning up the heat! And showing you how to cook!" Chili smirked. "And... begin!" Cilan called out. Ash took out a Pokéball and summoned his Pokémon.

"Alright! Tepig! I choose you!" Ash called. The Fire Pig Pokémon appeared on the battlefield, ready to turn up the heat. "Tepig? Wouldn't a Water Type like Oshawott have been a better choice?" Iris asked.

Takeru laughed nervously at this. "Maybe he's following his Pokémon's wishes, you suppose?" Takeru asked. Iris shrugged as she kept watching. Ash grinned with determination, facing Chili.

"See, it's a done deal! I said I'd use Tepig in my first battle in the first Gym in Unova!" Ash explained. Iris and Takeru fell over as the girl got up, annoyed. Chili smirked at his reason, though.

"It takes courage to challenge a Fire Type Gym Leader like me with a Fire Type Pokémon! But, I'm all ready! Go!" Chili called.

**Chili: Pansear VS Ash: Tepig**

"Tepig, Tackle, go!" Ash called. Tepig ran, bashing Pansear in the stomach. But, to Ash and Tepig's surprise, Pansear looked as if he didn't feel a thing! The opponent Fire Type smirked, brushing the dirt off of his fur.

Ash gasped at this as Chili smirked. "Pansear! Fire Punch, go!" Chili shouted. Pansear hit Tepig on the face with the flaming punch, causing the Fire Pig Pokémon to squeal in pain as he was sent tumbling back.

"Quick, Tepig! Get up!" Ash called. Tepig struggled to get up as Chili called for another attack. "Don't let them give a chance to counterattack! Use Flamethrower!" Chili shouted. Pansear unleashed the powerful Fire Type attack.

Ash then made a desperate move. "Tepig, use Ember!" Ash shouted. Tepig blew fire at the Flamethrower, but it proved to be futile. The Flamethrower overpowered Ember as Tepig was sent flying to the air.

"Oh no, Tepig!" Ash gasped. "Alright, Pansear! Use Dig!" Chili called. Pansear quickly dug underground as Tepig barely recovered from the Flamethrower that he took. Tepig looked around, before he was slammed to the air by Dig!

The Fire Type landed on the ground, struggling to get up. "Ah! Tepig!" Ash gasped. "Tepig! Oh no!" "Stay strong out there!" Iris and Takeru called out. "That's the way to show them, Chili! Fight, fight, fight!" The girls cheered.

Ash gritted his teeth as he warned the Fire Pig Pokémon. "Pansear's Dig is really strong! Be careful!" Ash called. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu added along. Chili only gave a sneer as he called for another attack.

"Being careful won't help you! Pansear! Use Dig again!" Chili shouted. Pansear obeyed as he dug underground for another surprise attack. "Now, run fast, Tepig!" Ash shouted. With that, Tepig evaded Dig.

Pansear yelped in surprise, seeing that he missed. Tepig ran around, trying to avoid Dig. But, to his dismay, Pansear successfully struck with Dig once more. Tepig wailed as he was sent flying again.

"Use Dig one more time!" Chili shouted. Pansear dug for the third time as Ash made his signal to his Fire Type. "Grab onto Pansear and don't let it get away!" Ash shouted.

Tepig then dove down into the hole. "What's going on!?" Chili asked. Moments later, the two Fire Types came out, with the Fire Pig Pokémon grabbing onto Pansear's tail! Pansear flailed, trying to get Tepig off.

Tepig held his teeth onto Pansear's tail as Cilan grew surprised to this method of battling. "Shake Tepig off! Then, send it flying!" Chili called. Pansear then slammed his opponent to the ground by the tail.

He gave a smirk, knowing that Tepig took some damage. However, Ash wasn't going to give up that easily at this moment. "Urgh... Tepig, quick! Get back up!" Ash shouted. Tepig opened his eyes, showing a determined face.

He then got up, as he swung around, causing Pansear to wail, being sent tumbling to the ground. As Pansear struggled to get up, Ash made his order. "Now! Tepig, use Ember!" Ash called.

Small fireballs hit Pansear as Ash called for the finishing touch. "Alright! Use Tackle!" Ash called. Tepig ran fast, smashing the High Temp Pokémon to the wall. Chili gasped as the results showed that Pansear lost.

Tepig smiled, satisfied of his victory. He then ran back to Ash, as the Kanto trainer complimented the Fire Type. "Tepig, you were completely awesome!" Ash chuckled. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu agreed.

Tepig took the compliment as he turned to Chili with a determined look. Cilan then made the call. "Pansear is unable to battle! Tepig wins! Therefore, the winner of this first round is... Ash!" Cilan declared.

**Ash: 1 Win**

**Cilan, Chili, Cress: 0 Win**

Takeru and Riolu rose up from their seats, complimenting their friend. "Now, that's what I call a hot battle!" Takeru chuckled. _"The bigger fire is Tepig!"_ Riolu barked happily. Even Iris was amazed.

"He won! Not bad!" Iris giggled. The cheerleading girls were depressed by this. "Oh no way! I can't believe that Chili didn't win!" One girl pouted. "Me neither!" The second agreed.

Chili returned his Fire Type back to its Pokéball, thanking it. "Excellent. Now, take a nice rest!" Chili thanked. He put the ball away as he turned to the Kanto trainer. "Your Tepig's pretty impressive!" Chili complimented.

Ash smiled at that. "Thanks very much, Chili! Tepig's pretty persistent!" Ash explained. "Pika!" Pikachu agreed. "So, let's keep it going, just like this!" Ash grinned, returning the Fire Type to its Pokéball.

As Chili left his battle box, Cress came by, facing the Kanto trainer. "And now, you'll be facing Cress, and that's me!" Cress replied with a cool smile. Ash got up as he got ready for the second match.

"Alright! Ready when you are!" Ash called. "C'mon, Cress, victory! Show us of what we needed to see!" The cheerleaders called out, cheering for the Water Type Gym Leader.

"Time for our second battle! The battle between Ash and Cress is about to begin!" Cilan called. Ash knelt down, looking at his Electric Type partner. "I bet Cress is tough. But, I totally believe in you, Pikachu!" Ash stated. "Pikachu!" Pikachu thanked.

He ran to face both Cress and Panpour, who were ready. Takeru smirked at the type advantage that Pikachu had. "With a Water Type like Panpour, going up against an Electric Type like Pikachu, there's no doubt of what the results should be!" Takeru smirked.

"You mean Pikachu is going to win?" Riolu asked his human brother. Takeru looked at the Emanation Pokémon with a smile. "That's what I'm counting on, Riolu." Takeru explained.

"Two wins in a row, and that badge is ours! Ready?" Ash asked. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu replied, calling out that he's ready. Iris smirked, showing a knowing look. "Well, Takeru. It's like you said. Using an Electric Type like Pikachu against a Water Type Panpour... I think that Ash had thought this one through!" Iris sighed.

"Ew!" Axew agreed. "And, begin!" Cilan called.

**Cress: Panpour VS Ash: Pikachu**

"Alright! Pikachu! Use Quick Attack!" Ash shouted. Pikachu charged at Panpour, as Cress let out a chuckle, making the call. "Panpour, Double Team, go!" Cress called. Clones of Panpour appeared, evading Pikachu's attack!

Pikachu looked back in surprise. "Now, Panpour! Use Scratch!" Cress shouted. The clones of Panpour appeared, all striking Pikachu with Scratch multiple times! Pikachu yelled in pain as he was sent to the ground.

"Pikachu!" Ash gasped. "Pikachu's an Electric Type, of course. So, there's definitley an advantage there... Even so, it's still no match for my Panpour! Alright, Panpour! Use Water Gun!" Panpour shouted.

The Spray Pokémon shot the Water Type move at Pikachu, as the Electric Type braced itself. "Dodge it, Pikachu!" Ash called. Pikachu quickly dodged Water Gun multiple times as Ash called for anohter move.

"Alright! Thunderbolt, go!" Ash yelled. Just before Pikachu could strike with Thunderbolt, Cress quickly intercepted the order. "Pikachu! Aim at Pikachu's feet!" Cress called.

Panpour shot another Water Gun, but this time, it hit Pikachu's feet! Pikachu lost his concentration of using Thunderbolt, as he slipped. "I saw through your attack pattern! Such an obvious move!" Cress chuckled.

The cheerleaders cheered for the cool headed Gym Leader even more. "Now, we'll take turns at attacking and defending! Start off with Water Gun!" Cress called. Water Gun was sprayed at Pikachu again!

"Use Scratch, once more!" Cress called. As the Electric Type was sent flying, Panpour slashed at Pikachu with multiple Scratch attacks, dealing it a lot of damage. Riolu looked panicked at this.

Takeru bit his lips as Iris sighed in disappointment. "Oh... This is looking worse, by every minute!" Iris groaned. "Wow! It looks like Cress is going all the way once more!" The first girl exclaimed.

"Dreamboats!" Two other girls sighed happily. At the battlefield, Pikachu was struggling to get up, since it took a lot of damage from the Water Gun and Scratch attack. Ash tried to get Pikachu to recover.

"Come on, Pikachu! This battle isn't over yet! So, you have to get up!" Ash called. Cress chuckled to that. "I think you'll agree! It seems we're close to the end!" Cress chuckled.

Ash glared at the Gym Leader, refusing to admit it. "No way! We're here to win! Come on, Pikachu!" Ash shouted. Pikachu managed to get up as Ash grinned, calling for another move.

"Way to go! Alright! Volt Tackle!" Ash called. Pikachu charged at the Water Type with the powerful Electric Type move, as Cress let out a funny face. "Volt Tackle... A move where a Pokémon damages itself!" Cress chuckled.

He flipped his blue bang as he smirked. "Even so! Our anti-Electric Type strategy is perfect! Alright, Panpour! Mud Sport!" Cress called. Panpour slammed its paws on the ground, creating a shake on the ground with mud.

"Oh no!" Ash gasped. He knew of what would Mud Sport would do to Pikachu. The Electric Type slipped, nullifying Volt Tackle as he slid on the mud. "Finish this up with Water Gun!" Cress called.

Panpour let out a finishing blow, splashing Pikachu into the air. The Electric Type yelled in pain as he was smashed to the ground. "Pikachu!" Ash called.

As the Electric Type landed on the ground, it stayed to the ground, groaning. Ash widened his eyes at this. "Pikachu!" Ash gasped, shocked of what had happened to his partner.

"Pikachu is unable to battle! Panpour wins! So, the winner of the second battle... is the Gym Leader, Cress!" Cilan declared.

**Ash: 1 Win**

**Cilan, Chili, Cress: 1 Win**

"Go, Cress! Go, Cress! Go, go go!" The cheerleader cheered. Takeru let out a sigh, slumping his head down, as Riolu did the same. "And here I thought Ash would get his badge after this battle..." Takeru muttered.

Iris laughed nervously at that. "Well, it's one each! So, Ash's badge comes down to the next battle! Interesting, don't you think?" Iris asked. "Axew..." Axew agreed. Pikachu grumbled, not happy about his loss.

Ash knelt down, reassuring to his partner. "Pikachu! You did your best." Ash assured. "Pikachu..." The Electric Type sighed, not convinced. "You've truly showed the bond between Trainer and Pokémon! We're very impressed!" Cilan replied.

He stepped up to the battle box, as he let out a chuckle. "But! We won't give up our badge that easily!" Cilan chuckled. Ash got up and smirked. "Just the way I wanted it to!" Ash smirked.

He made a determined fist, facing Cilan and Pansage. "I'm gonna give it everything I've got to earn the Trio Badge!" Ash promised. Cilan chuckled to that promise.

"Pansage! I'd like to engage them in a refined battle with flavor that's in depth with taste! Sound good?" Cilan asked. "Pansage!" The Grass Monkey Pokémon replied with a smile. Chili, meanwhile took the referee box.

"This is it! The third battle that is Ash VS Cilan! And... begin!" Chili called. Ash took out his third Pokéball and summoned his third Pokémon. "We'll win this one for sure! Oshawott! I choose you!" Ash called.

The Sea Otter Pokémon appeared, crossing his arms. Both Takeru and Iris widened their eyes in shock. "Oshawott!? Wouldn't a Flying Type like Pidove had been a better choice against a Grass Type like Pansage?" Iris asked.

"What is Ash thinking? A Water Type versus a Grass Type... This taste might turn bitter at this rate..." Takeru mumbled. _"Is he going to lose?"_ Riolu asked, feeling bored all of a sudden.

Takeru gave a shrug, before turning back to the battle. Cress was amused by the choice, though. "Intentionally choosing a Pokémon that's at a disadvantage? That doesn't taste right!" Cress chuckled.

Oshawott opened his eyes, before seeing who his opponent was. Pansage smirked at the frightened Water Type. Oshawott hid behind his trainer, cowering behind Ash as he sweat dropped.

Takeru and Riolu fell over as the Nuvema boy grumbled, annoyed. "And now, the coward is cowering behind its trainer, giving up the battle too easily!" Takeru snapped, not impressed at all.

_"Coward!"_ Riolu snapped, sticking his tongue at the Sea Otter Pokémon. Ashgrumbled, rubbing the back of his head. "Oh man... Here we go!" Ash grunted. "Pika..." Pikachu sighed.

With that, the two pushed Oshawott back to the battlefield, where Ash explained the situation to the unhappy Water Type. "Come on, Oshawott..." "Pikachu..." The two called, as Oshawott sighed.

"I need you to be strong! You're the only Pokémon that can get the job done! You're one of my strongest Pokémon! It's up to you! Don't you remember rescuing Pikachu and Axew when they were in trouble?" Ash explained.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu agreed. At those words, the Water Type finally agreed to battle. "Oshawott!" The Pokémon replied with a grin. "So, show me those strength now! Let's win that Gym Badge!" Ash called.

**Cilan: Pansage VS Ash: Oshawott**

Oshawott nodded as he walked forward to face Cilan and Pansage. Cilan smiled at this relationship. "You have the first attack! From everywhere you like!" Cilan called, allowing Ash to make the move first.

"Oshawott, Tackle!" Ash called. Oshawott aimed to Tackle the Grass Monkey as Cilan chuckled to the futile attempt. "Pansage, dodge!" Cilan called. Pansage stepped out of the way, causing Oshawott to almost trip.

"Pansage! Bullet Seed!" Cilan called. Pansage shot the Grass Type move, hitting Oshawott's bottom. The Water Type wailed, being hit by the super effective attack.

"Oshawott's fear may be a bit stronger than its courage, so to say..." Takeru muttered, face palming. _"Moron..."_ Riolu scoffed, turning away from the Water Type. Ash called out to the wounded Water Type.

"Oshawott!" Ash gasped. Oshawott groaned, rubbing his bottom. Cilan sneered, teasing the two. "You two could grow up a bit. You know, mature!" Cilan teased. That sparked the Kanto trainer's anger.

"What did you say!?" Ash snapped angrily. Cilan made a teasing face as he showed an example. "Need proof? I'll show you proof! Pansage! Get close to Oshawott!" Cilan called.

Pansage began to get close to the Water Type with an evil smirk. Oshawott yelped in fright. "And now! Use Bite!" Cilan called. CHOMP!

Pansage chomped on Oshawott's head, causing the Water Type to flail, trying to pry the Grass Monkey Pokémon off of him. Iris laughed nervously at the Water Type's cowardice.

As Pansage released Oshawott from Bite, the Water Type hit the rock on his face. He groaned, trying to recover as Pansage got ready for more. "Oshawott! Use Water Gun!" Ash called.

Oshawott attempted to hit Pansage with the Water Type, only for the Grass Type to dodge easily. Oshawott panted, annoyed by the evasiveness of Pansage. "You've got to aim better, Oshawott!" Ash called.

With those words, Oshawott shot another Water Gun at Pansage, which was dodged again. "Okay! One more time!" Ash called. Oshawott shot another Water Gun, which finally hit Pansage.

The Grass Type was hit, as the Water Type grew proud of himself. "Yes! That was a great attack!" Ash complimented. "Pikachu!" Pikachu agreed. Pansage recovered from the surprise attack with a grin.

Cilan chuckled to this result. "New flavors... Like a secret ingredient! But, you'll never defeat me with a simple taste like that!" Cilan chuckled. He smirked as he signaled Pansage.

"Pansage, I think it's time to convert the power of the sun!" Cilan called. Pansage smirked, ready to strike his opponent back. It began to collect energy from the sunlight.

Both Takeru and Iris widened their eyes. "Oh no! Not that!" "Is that... Solarbeam!?" Iris and Takeru gasped. "Pansage, Pansage! Let's go!" The girls cheered. With these words, Pansage shot his most powerful move.

It was Solarbeam, as he launched it at Oshawott! "Pansage! Use Solarbeam, now!" Cilan called. Pansage launched the attack as Oshawott turned pale in shock. "Oshawott!" Ash gasped.

And so, with Ash beginning his challenge to battle the trio Gym Leaders, Ash had defeated Chili, but lost to Cress. Now, it's him against Cilan. What will the results be for Ash? Stay tuned to find out!

To be continued...

**Takeru's Team:**

**Riolu: (M): (Force Palm, Blaze Kick, ThunderPunch, Dig)**

**Joltik: (M): (Electro Ball, Signal Beam, String Shot, Electroweb)**

**Pidove: (M): (Air Cutter, Gust, Aerial Ace, Quick Attack)**

Next chapters:

**Chapter 11: Questions and Dreams!**

**Chapter 12: Munna and Musharna!**

**Chapter 13: Ash VS Snivy! The Chase!**

**Chapter 14: Snivy's Test**

**Chapter 15: The Food Thieves in Fire!**

**Next chapter preview:**

Ash: Alright! I just got my first Unova Gym Badge!

Cilan: Alright then! Takeru! Ash! What's your secret recipe for battling!?

Takeru: Do I have to spell everything out to you?

Iris: Oh no! Axew! He fell asleep by this pink light!

Dr. Fennel: Munna! Please, wake Axew up! Hurry!

Takeru: Striaton City is being covered by pink aura!


	11. Questions and Dreams!

**Chapter 11: Questions and Dreams!**

Last time on "Pokémon Unova Journey", Ash was having his turn batting the Striaton Gym Leaders, Chili, Cilan, and Cress. In the first match, he defeated Chili with Tepig, who was against Pansear.

Unfortunately for him, Pikachu had lost to Cress' Panpour easily, without dealing a little damage on the Spray Pokémon. Now that he had one win and one loss, he was up against Cilan now.

Ash had sent out Oshawott, much to everyone's surprise. The battle started with the advantage going to Cilan as Pansage began to launch a Solarbeam at Oshawott. What could happen to Oshawott now?

"Now, Solarbeam, go!" Cilan called. At those words, Pansage launched Solarbeam, that was headed straight for the Sea Otter Pokémon! Oshawott paled at the incoming powerful attack.

"Oshawott!" Ash gasped. Oshawott panicked as the attack got closer and closer. Ash made a desperate call for desperate measures by making the order. "Oshawott! Deflect it!" Ash called.

Oshawott quickly took his scalchop out, managing to deflect Solarbeam into the air! The move shined out of the Gym, rendering it useless. The three Gym Leaders widened their eyes in surprise.

"Oshawott! That was awesome!" Ash complimented, grinning. Both Cilan and Chili were at loss for words, as Cress was shocked by this technique. "No way!" Cress gasped. "Amazing..." Takeru breathed out.

_"Wow! A Water Type like Oshawott deflected Solarbeam!"_ Riolu cheered, amazed with the defense that Oshawott had with his scalchop. "Wow! Way to go, Oshawott! Cool!" Iris complimented.

The cheerleaders groaned, seeing that Cilan hasn't won yet. Oshawott happily jumped on top of a rock, cheering for his success of defense. Cilan chuckled at this shocking situation.

"Now, that was truly a fascinating defense move! Oshawott deflected our Solarbeam with its scalchop! I've seen many Oshawott in my time, but that was a first!" Cilan admitted.

Oshawott seemed to take a compliment as he adored his scalchop of his. Ash grinned at this, too. "You just wait! You'll see my Oshawott that's a cut above the rest!" Ash promised.

Cilan smiled to that assuring. "Impressive! Then, there's no holding back! Alright, Pansage! Bullet Seed!" Cilan called. "Quick, block it with your scalchop!" Ash called. Oshawott braced itself for the attacks.

As Pansage shot Bullet Seed, Oshawott deflected it all with the scalchop! "Yes! Now, use Razor Shell!" Ash called. Oshawott nodded, as he aimed his powerful move at the Grass Monkey Pokémon.

"Use Bullet Seed once more!" Cilan called. Pansage shot the attack again. Oshawott managed to avoid the attack, but one of the seeds knocked the scalchop off of his paw! Both Ash and Pikachu gasped at this.

Takeru sweat dropped as he slumped down. Riolu fell over as it barked angrily at the Sea Otter Pokémon. "What happened to all that confidence!?" Riolu barked angrily.

Takeru got up as he sighed. Iris sighed along as well. "That's what happens when you get overconfident..." Iris sighed. Ash called for Oshawott. "Oshawott! Get your scalchop, hurry!" Ash called.

Oshawott attempted to get his scalchop back, until Cilan called for another attack. "Use Bullet Seed!" Cilan called. Pansage shot the seeds at Oshawott, who barely dodged them all.

But, one of the seeds made direct contact on its head, as the Sea Otter Pokémon began to stagger, trying to regain his balance. "Oshawott!" Ash gasped. Cilan chuckled to this situation.

"Hm! Alright, let's begin! The time for the battle to be served is here!" Cilan called. The girls squealed happily, waiting to hear Cilan's words. Iris grew confused to the cheering, looking at them.

"Whoa! What's going on?" Iris asked. Takeru looked up, explaining the situation. "Cilan is about to make some evaluations in this battle." Takeru explained. "Evaluations?" Iris asked.

Takeru gave a sigh with a nod. "This is one of the things that Connoisseurs do in this type of situation." Takeru muttered. Cilan, indeed began to make an evaluation between of Ash and Oshawott.

"Ha... Hm... I'm afraid that you and Oshawott aren't as tight as I thought you would be!" Cilan replied. Ash was confused at first, as Cilan continued.

"Your battle style has no spice, and your attacks are rather bland. Sorry, but, what a letdown!" Cilan chuckled. Ash glared at the Grass Type Gym Leader, not happy about the insult.

"A letdown!?" Ash snapped. "Well, take a look at Oshawott!" Cilan pointed out. Ash blinked, seeing Oshawott starting to get exhausted. "Come on, Oshawott!" Ash pleaded.

"Now! Let's compare! Just look at my Pansage! Its crisp attacks give off a fragrant aroma of the freshly mowed lawn! The star of the battlefield!" Cilan explained, comparing from Oshawott and Pansage.

"Dare I say it, Pansage is the most brilliant battler, ever!" Cilan claimed. "Pan!" Pansage exclaimed, supporting Cilan's words. The girls squealed at his words, as both Takeru and Iris sweat dropped.

"That's comparing, not like an evaluation..." Takeru muttered, face palming. "A Pokémon Connoisseur Gym Leader can sure be a bit much..." Iris added. Cilan smiled at his opponents with a teasing look.

"And the fact that you've challenged my Grass Type with a Water Type tells me that you're far from refined! Your taste buds sure don't appreciate the gourmet things in life!" Cilan sneered.

"There's more to Pokémon than what type they are! So, don't sell my Oshawott short!" Ash chuckled. Cilan still smiled, seeing this as a desperate talk. "Now you sound desperate. With that kind of sour attitude, you'll just spoil the flavor of Oshawott's battle!" Cilan smirked.

Ash grinned, making a determined face. "Oh yeah? We'll see about that! Oshawott! Use Water Gun and aim for that wall!" Ash called. That left Cilan, Cress, Chili, and Oshawott bewildered.

Even Takeru, Riolu, and Iris was surprised with the choice. "Towards the wall?" Iris repeated. Just then, Takeru knew where this was going. "Okay then, do it, Ash!" Takeru called out.

_"Win for it all!"_ Riolu cheered, barking at the two. Ash nodded as he looked back at the Sea Otter Pokémon. "Do it, Oshawott! Just trust me on this one!" Ash called. Oshawott nodded as he shot the attack at the wall!

The Water Gun bounced off the wall, off the rocks, and it hit the scalchop, sending it in the air. "Huh!? No way!" Iris exclaimed. "Ew!" Axew agreed, also surprised to this. Even Cilan grew amazed.

"Well well! You do have some surprising flavors!" Cilan chuckled. Ash wasn't done yet, though. "Catch it, Oshawott! Then, use Razor Shell!" Ash shouted. Oshawott ran, catching the scalchop.

It then slashed Pansage away with the direct attack. The Grass Monkey Pokémon grunted in pain, as it resisted the attack. "That was great, Oshawott!" Ash exclaimed. Cilan was amazed by the comeback as well.

"Wow! That was great! Alright then, Pansage! Use Bite!" Cilan called. Pansage shot forward, aiming to bite Oshawott. "Now, use Razor Shell!" Ash called. The two Pokémon clashed together.

As the two passed each other, there was a moment of silence. But, a few moments later, Pansage groaned in pain as he fell to the ground, with swirls in his eyes. "Oh no..." Cilan replied.

The girls grew disappointed, seeing that the Grass Type Gym Leader had lost the battle. "Pansage is unable to battle! Oshawott wins! And, with two wins, the victor is Ash, the challenger!" Chili declared.

**Ash: 2 Wins**

**Cilan, Chili, Cress: 1 Win**

**Winner: Ash**

"Yeah!" Ash exclaimed. "Pikachu!" Pikachu exclaimed happily. Oshawott fell to the ground, relieved and exhausted for having a tough battle and a tough win. "Ash won! He really won!" Iris replied in surprise.

"Now, that's what I call a battle!" Takeru stated. _"He won, big bro. He won!" _Riolu replied, tugging on Takeru's shoulder. "Yes, he did." Takeru chuckled, holding the Emanation Pokémon in his arms.

Ash walked over, along with his three Pokémon. Chili, Cilan, and Cress walked over, handing Ash the Gym Badge. "Here, Ash. This is for you." Cress replied. "This badge here is proof that you beat the Striaton Gym!" Chili explained.

"And it's called the Trio Badge!" Cilan concluded. Ash took the Unova Badge with thanks. "Thanks! I got the Trio Badge! My first in the Unova region!" Ash exclaimed, holding the badge for his Pokémon to see.

Pikachu, Oshawott, and Tepig cheered for their victory as well, with Takeru and Riolu coming over. "What'd you think, Iris? Takeru? I won, you know." Ash bragged. Iris sighed, smiling knowingly.

"You and Takeru didn't have to battle all three Gym Leaders! Do you have the foggiest idea how uncool you would've looked, when you chose to make it more difficult?" Iris explained.

"Man, oh man. You could've just said something nice, you know." Ash muttered. Iris smirked, raising her nose up high.

"You're very lucky, even though your Pokémon had a type disadvantage, you still came through! Maybe you should forget luck, and put a little thought into strategy, like Takeru does!" Iris explained.

Takeru frowned at her words. "You don't have to compare Ash's thoughts with mine. You shouldn't be talking that way as well." Takeru replied. Iris looked at him confused, as Takeru explained.

"You're saying those words, when you don't even have a single Gym Badge. We never saw you have a battle as well. And we only saw Axew as your only Pokémon when you traveled with us." Takeru explained.

He narrowed his eyes with Riolu scoffing, turning his head away from the wild girl. Iris sweat dropped, seeing that Takeru has made his point. "I... guess you have a point..." Iris replied nervously.

Ash smiled, looking at the Nuvema boy. "Thanks for the words, Takeru." Ash thanked. Takeru shrugged as Riolu wagged his tail with a nod. The Kanto trainer looked back at Iris with a glare.

"You still don't believe it? Then, I think I'll battle you next!" Ash called. Iris opened her eyes, as she made some thoughts, before giving an answer to Ash. "That's fine by me..." Iris replied.

The Nuvema boy noticed a little nervous feeling, coming from Iris. "Now now! Save it for later! Although, the combination of the three of you does conjure up a certain bouquet!" Cilan chuckled.

"Bouquet?" Ash repeated. "He means aroma." Takeru translated. Iris grumbled, annoyed by Ash's lack of wisdom. "Don't you know anything at all? What a-" Iris started, but was interrupted.

"'What a kid'? Keep it to yourself, Iris." Takeru scoffed. Iris let out a puffy face before turning to Axew. "We're out of here, Axew!" Iris called. Axew replied with agreement, as the two began to leave.

"Hold on! I thought the three of you were traveling together!" Cilan guessed, confused. "No, we're not! Good job, you two. See ya!" Iris called, leaving the Gym, leaving Ash to pout.

"But what about our battle?" Ash called, but it was unheard as Iris was already gone. Takeru gave a sigh, rubbing the back of his head. "What a kid... That Iris." Takeru muttered.

Riolu grunted in agreement, as Cilan looked at the two boys. He then gave a smile, thinking of something.

**Later...**

Takeru and Ash were at the Pokémon Center, getting ready for their Pokémon checkup. Ash placed Tepig and Oshawott's Pokéballs on the tray, as Takeru put Joltik's. Riolu and Pikachu got onto the front desk.

"Okay! Ready, please!" Ash called. At that moment, Nurse Joy arrived, seeing the two boys. "Hi there!" Nurse Joy called, smiling at the two boys. Takeru blinked in confusion.

"Um, Nurse Joy? Didn't we meet at Accumula Town?" Takeru asked. Nurse Joy giggled to that. "Of course! You must be talking about my younger sister! See?" Nurse Joy explained, showing a picture.

The photo showed Nurse Joy with her Nurse Joy family. "She's the Accumula Town nurse, and that's me!" Nurse Joy explained. Both boys sweat dropped at that. "Yeah... Right... You and all your sisters look all alike!" Ash chuckled.

"They all look the same, excluding the nurse sign on the hat." Takeru replied. Pikachu and Riolu looked at the photo as well. "Thank you! How unusual to see a Pikachu and a Riolu! Gym battle today?" Nurse Joy asked.

"You could say that." Takeru answered, stroking Riolu's fur, who growled happily. "And it's already done!" Cilan answered. Takeru and Ash turned to see the Striaton Gym Leader behind them.

"Hey, Cilan! What's up?" Ash asked. "Hi, Ash! Takeru! I'd like a chat with the two of you, if you don't mind." Cilan explained.

So, the three boys were sitting at a table as they waited for Ash and Takeru's Pokémon to recover. "Our battle today was a fruitful one! What struck me was the amazing pairing possibilities between trainer and Pokémon!" Cilan explained.

"Ah, come on..." Ash chuckled, feeling shy about this. Takeru bit his lips, smiling nervously. "There are things that I'd like to ask you for your future references, as a Pokémon Connoisseur." Cilan explained.

"What's that?" Takeru asked. Then, to the two boy's surprise, Cilan took out his notebook with multiple questions.

"So, how do you two bring out a Pokémon's hidden nature like you do? Also, won't you two fill me in on that secret recipe of yours that allows you to turn type disadvantage into a win? Please, Ash! Takeru! I'm dying to know!" Cilan exclaimed.

Both boys grew nervous about Cilan's questions that's asked all at once. "Do I have to spill everything to you? That's for me to know, and for you to find out." Takeru answered, standing up.

"Uh... Guess I never really thought about it!" Ash stammered. Just then, the Kanto trainer turned to the TV news where a battle is going on. "Whoa! What's going on in there?" Ash asked.

Cilan put his notebook away as he explained. "Oh, that. That's the Sinnoh Channel, where they're presenting the Sinnoh Champion League!" Cilan explained. Ash widened his eyes at this.

"The Sinnoh Champion League!? Who's the challenger!?" Ash asked. Takeru looked at the screen, seeing the battler's name. "It says on the news that the battler is a trainer named Hikaru Platinum." Takeru answered.

Ash nearly jumped out of his seat. "Hikaru!? He's there!?" Ash exclaimed. He ran up to the TV, grinning at the trainer.

On the screen, Hikaru was using Infernape, battling against Flint's Magmortar. "Awesome! Hikaru's battling Flint!" Ash exclaimed happily. Takeru and Cilan looked at the Kanto trainer in confusion.

"Do you know him, Ash?" Cilan asked. Ash grinned and responded. "Hikaru's a friend of mine in Sinnoh! We traveled together towards the Sinnoh League... but I lost to him in the semi-finals..." Ash explained.

Both Cilan and Takeru were amazed. Cilan took out his notebook again, for some more questions. "Does that mean you blended your flavors with more of your Pokémon!? Come on, Ash! Tell me!" Cilan pleaded.

Just before Ash could react, there was a call for him from Nurse Joy. _"Excuse me, Ash? Takeru? Your Pokémon have made a full recovery!"_ Nurse Joy called through the annoucing buzzer.

"Coming!" Ash called, running over, along with Takeru. The two boys walked up, seeing a new Pokémon walk up to them, carrying Pikachu, Riolu, and the three Pokéballs on the cart.

"Pikachu!" "Riolu!" Ash and Takeru called out. "Pikachu!" _"I'm feeling better now, big bro!"_ Pikachu and Riolu replied. "Audino!" The Pokémon replied happily. "Who's that Pokémon?" Ash asked.

"An Audino! Audino here is an assistant to Nurse Joy at the Pokémon Center!" Cilan explained. Takeru took out his Pokédex, scanning the Hearing Pokémon.

_"Audino, the Hearing Pokémon. Audino can assess a Pokémon's overall physical condition and mood using its ears."_ Takeru's Pokédex buzzed. Just then, Iris came, dashing in.

"Nurse Joy! Help, please!" Iris called. "Iris!" Ash replied in surprise. "What's wrong?... Oh my, your Axew..." Nurse Joy replied. "Axew started to fall asleep as soon as a pink light hit him from the sky!" Iris explained.

"Pink light?" Takeru repeated. Iris nodded and looked out. "Yeah! And whatever it is, there's more outside!" Iris explained. At that moment, a woman with a floating pink Pokémon came, running in.

"Ah! Just as I feared! Munna, please wake up Axew, quickly!" The woman called. At that time, the pink Pokémon, Munna began to suck the pink aura off of Axew. Everyone looked at Axew, concerned.

And so, Ash has managed to win his Trio Badge, as he and Takeru meet up with Cilan again at the Pokémon Center. On the news, Ash discovers that Hikaru is battling Flint at the Sinnoh Champion League.

But, when Iris comes by with her pink glowing Axew, a problem occurs. The same time, a woman arrives to clear the problem. What could be happening in Striaton City at the moment?

Stay tuned for some more!

To be continued...

**Takeru's Team:**

**Riolu: (M): (Force Palm, Blaze Kick, ThunderPunch, Dig)**

**Joltik: (M): (Electro Ball, Electroweb, String Shot, Signal Beam)**

**Pidove: (M): (Air Cutter, Gust, Quick Attack, Aerial Ace)**

Next chapters:

**Chapter 12: Munna and Musharna!**

**Chapter 13: Ash VS Snivy! The Chase!**

**Chapter 14: Snivy's Test**

**Chapter 15: The Food Thieves on Fire!**

**Chapter 16: The Darmanitan Task!**

**Next chapter preview:**

Takeru: Striaton City is filled with sleeping Pokémon right now!

Dr. Fennel: It must be the Dreamyard! Oh no, Musharna...

Ash: We'll help you with this, Dr. Fennel!

Iris: Huh!? It's you guys again! Team Rocket!

Jessie: Musharna is part of the Team Rocket organization now!

James: With you thick headed twerps out of the way, our dreams will become reality!


	12. Munna and Musharna!

**Chapter 12: Munna and Musharna!**

Last time on "Pokémon Unova Journey", Ash was continuing in his Gym battle, battling Cilan and Pansage with Oshawott, making this his last chance to earn his first Unova Gym Badge.

There were some difficult times until Ash made a strategy that helped him defeat Pansage, and to allow him to earn the Trio Badge! After the battle, Iris made some comparisons between Ash and Takeru before leaving.

As the two boys were at the Pokémon Center, Cilan wanted to ask the two some questions, until Ash noticed his Sinnoh friend, Hikaru, battling Flint in the Sinnoh Channel news on TV.

Just as more questions were about to be asked from Cilan, both Takeru and Ash were called down to Nurse Joy, seeing that their Pokémon were fully healed. Just then, Iris ran by with Axew asleep with a pink aura around him.

When the problem occurred, a woman with a Munna ran over, asking her Psychic Type to eat Axew's dream. The dream eating was in process as everyone grew worried for the Dragon Type.

"It's just as I feared! Munna! Please wake up, Axew! Quickly!" The woman called. The Psychic Type then floated over as it began to suck the pink aura off of Axew!

Iris grew surprised as the Kanto trainer walked over to see the Pokémon. "Who's that Pokémon?" Ash asked. "That's Munna. A Pokémon that's connected to many dreams..." Takeru answered.

_"Munna, the Dream Eater Pokémon. Munna can eat the dreams of people and Pokémon alike, and then project those dreams by emitting Dream Mist from its body."_ Ash's Pokédex buzzed.

After completely eating up Axew's dream, Munna's flower signs on her body began to glow. Then, a Dream Mist began to float out of her body, showing of what Axew has been dreaming.

"Oh wow..." Ash said, amazed with the mist. As the Dream Mist revealed the dream, Iris blinked in surprise. "What's that?" Iris asked. "You don't suppose that's... a dream?" Takeru asked.

"That's right! That's the dream that Axew was having!" The woman explained. Everyone looked at the Dream Mist, until Axew woke up. "Axew!" Iris exclaimed, happy to see that her Dragon Type was awake.

Back at the Dream Mist, the mist revealed of Axew glowing. The form took a new shape, changing into a different, yet similar Pokémon! "It evolved?" Ash asked.

"Oh wow, you're right... It evolves into Fraxure!" Iris agreed, as the Dragon Type was eager, seeing his dream. Just then, Fraxure in the Dream Mist began to evolve again.

This time, it went onto a completely new form, growling a deep voice. "It evolved again... This time, it's... a Haxorus!" Takeru exclaimed as he took out his Pokédex.

He searched for the two Pokémon. _"Fraxure, the Axew Jaw Pokémon, and the evolved form of Axew. Since a broken tusk will not grow back, they diligently sharpen their tusks on river rocks after they've been fighting."_

_"Haxorus, the Axe Jaw Pokémon and Axew's final evolved form. Haxorus is normally considered friendly. Its body is covered with a tough armor, and its tusks cannot be broken."_ Takeru's Pokédex buzzed.

The dream then ended as the Dragon trainer looked at her Pokémon. "So, you were dreaming that you were evolving!" Iris giggled. "Axew!" Axew exclaimed, happy with a nod.

That was when the woman introduced herself. "Hi, everybody! I'm Dr. Fennel, a scientist that is specializing in dreams and other special powers, which so many Pokémon possess!" Dr. Fennel replied, smiling.

As the introduction was made, everyone headed outside to see what was going on. Pink mists were everywhere, covering Striaton City. "Look at this... The city's being crowded by... pink mists!" Takeru stated.

"Yeah... Those pink lights must be why Axew fell asleep!" Iris guessed. Her guess caused her Dragon Type to hide in her hair, as Takeru held his Emanation Pokémon.

_"Big brother? What's happening?"_ Riolu asked, a bit frightened. "I don't know, little bro... I just don't know..." Takeru whispered, comforting the little one.

"All of this must be created by Musharna's Dream Mist!" Dr. Fennel guessed. The Kanto trainer turned to the scientist in confusion. "Musharna?" Ash repeated. "Musharna evolves from Munna!" Cilan explains.

"Correct..." Dr. Fennel agreed. Takeru took out his Pokédex once more, searching for Musharna as he found the data.

_"Musharna, the Drowsing Pokémon and the evolved form of Munna. The mist from its forehead takes the form of things present in the dreams it has eaten."_ Takeru's Pokédex buzzed.

"Musharna eats dreams, just as Munna does, and can project those dreams in a Dream Mist!" Dr. Fennel explained. At that moment, a police car came by, screeching to a stop.

"Attention!" A woman called out. "Officer Jenny!?" Cilan called in surprise. The Unova officer walked up to both Ash and Takeru. "You two must return your Pokémon to their Pokéballs, immediately!" Officer Jenny warned.

The order left the Kanto trainer and the Nuvema boy surprised as Officer Jenny explained. "Pokémon are falling asleep, all after being exposed to the mysterious pink light! You must hurry!" Officer Jenny explained.

Both Ash and Takeru frowned as the Kanto trainer explained. "The thing is, my Pikachu doesn't like being in its Pokéball one bit!" Ash explained. Both Cilan and Iris grew surprised at that.

"The same goes for Riolu, officer." Takeru added. Riolu nodded with a sad call. _"I don't like being inside the ball. I just want to stay with big bro!"_ Riolu barked, which only Takeru understood.

"Whoa... I had no idea!" Iris admitted. Dr. Fennel smiled as she made a suggestion. "If I may?" Dr. Fennel asked. She took Ash's hat, placing it on Pikachu's head.

She then turned to Takeru, making anohter suggestion. "Would it be alright if Riolu stays close to your body for a while?" Dr. Fennel asked. "Yes. It'll be fine." Takeru answered with a smile.

He unzipped his white jacket, holding Riolu close to his body as he zipped the zipper back. Riolu yawned loudly as he placed his head on Takeru's chest. causing Iris to giggle with a smile.

"Hee hee! That's kind of cute!" Iris giggled. The teasing caused Takeru to blush lightly, but he chose to ignore it now. "There. That should work for the two of them, for now." Dr. Fennel replied.

Cilan wasn't sure about Munna, though. "So, will Munna be alright?" Cilan asked. "Yes. Munna and the lights are attracted to each other!" Dr. Fennel explained.

The four trainers looked, seeing that her words were true. The Psychic Type seemed to be perfectly fine with the pink lights hitting it, though. Dr. Fennel then made a thought.

"I think the key to solve this mystery is to be found in the Dreamyard!" Dr. Fennel guessed. Ash was confused by the place's name. "What's the Dreamyard?" Ash asked. "Pika?" Pikachu asked.

With the question asked, the officer asked everyone to be inside the police car as they all began to drive towards the Dreamyard. Meanwhile, Nurse Joy was giving out warnings to the people.

"Citizens of Striation City! A state of emergency has been declared! Keep your Pokémon indoors at all times! I repeat, keep your Pokémon at all times!" Nurse Joy warned.

Back to the gang, as they were driving to the Dreamyard, Cilan made a statement of what the Dreamyard was.

"The Dreanyard's an abandoned site, located right outside of the city! Everybody was talking about the huge explosion that occurred in the few years back!" Cilan explained.

"An accident, then?" Takeru asked silently. Riolu was sleeping inside his jacket, which he held close to his chest. Dr. Fennel gave a sad sigh and nod.

"That's right. It's what left of the Pokémon Research Facility. A place to discover a way to utilize Musharna's Dream Mist... That is, turned into the energy that people could benefit from! And I was one of the scientists in the project." Dr. Fennel explained.

"Turning research into energy?" Ash asked, surprised with the news. The scientist nodded and continued. "Once our research had been finalized, we would've created the ultimate clean energy!" Dr. Fennel explained.

She recalled of the time when the Dreamyard was still alive as a research facility, the place where she and her Munna worked at before it was destroyed.

"After all, the sources would've been nothing but the dreams of people and Pokémon! But then..." Dr. Fennel explained, suddenly stopping her past explanation. The Nuvema Boy narrowed his eyes.

"So then, what happened during the process?" Takeru asked. The female scientist grew saddened, also recalling of why the research facility was into ruins.

"People came, trying to gain control of this new energy! And since their ambitions were in a sense, dreams... Musharna absorbed their greedy dreams, which came so overwhelming, that Musharna could no longer process them." Dr. Fennel explained.

The scientist then recalled of the time when Musharna had suffered, causing her to scream and destroy the lab, while she and her other scientists evacuated, as the Psychic Type disappeared.

"Musharna had disappeared, and the research lab was destroyed." Dr. Fennel concluded. "And the research?" Officer Jenny asked. Dr. Fennel looked down, giving a deep sigh.

"I gave up. With Musharna gone, I became fed up with it all and left the city..." Dr. Fennel answered. "So then, why come back now?" Takeru asked, feeling serious at the moment.

"Well, Munna and I return now, because Munna sensed something... And with the discovery of the pink lights, Musharna must be here... Somewhere! I know it!" Dr. Fennel assured.

Ash, Takeru, Cilan, and Iris all grew confused and worried, not sure of what they needed to do at the moment. Just then, the officer widened her eyes of seeing something. "Huh? What's that?" Officer Jenny asked.

Takeru narrowed his eyes as he made a guess. "Could... that be the source of the pink lights, Dr. Fennel?" Takeru asked. The scientist looked closer, and widened her eyes.

"Yes! It must be! We must hurry!" Dr. Fennel called. Officer Jenny did her thing as she drove the police car faster, heading towards the Dreamyard, where the pink light was.

As they finally arrived, everyone spotted a trio of people, looking like they were plotting something with a machine. They ran up to them, as the Unova officer grew suspicious to them.

"Alright! What are you doing here!?" Officer Jenny demanded. The trio sneered as the man explained. "We're searching for any residual traces of dreams!" The man explained.

As the scientist looked closer at the machine, she widened her eyes. "I think that machine is elevating the energy levels left here!" Dr. Fennel called out. The woman smirked at that.

"Very good." The woman complimented as Takeru stepped up, with Riolu waking up to see the problem with fright. "Just who are you people? And why are you doing this!?" Takeru demanded.

With the question, the woman and the man sneered.

"Exacting questions are good, indeed!"

"The answer to come, as we feel the need!"

With their words, the trio took off their disguises, showing who they really are. It was Team Rocket! Ash, Iris, and Takeru glared at the trio. "No! Not those guys again!" Iris growled.

"Bringing... the white lights of evil into the future!"

"And thrusting the Hammer of Justice on the black universe!"

"Carving our names... in the Rock of Eternity!"

"The fiery destroyer, I am Jessie!"

"With thunderous emotions, I am James!"

"Wisest of the wise, I'm Meowth!"

"And now, we call all together, under the name of Team Rocket!"

"Team Rocket!? What's a Kanto region based organization doing in Unova!?" Officer Jenny demanded. "Setting over our emotion of the Unova takeover, of course!" Jessie answered.

"The sleeping energy here in the Dreamyard will be fully awakened at the hands of Team Rocket!" James explained. "And we won't let some sleepwalkers stand in our way!" Meowth sneered.

Dr. Fennel widened her eyes, then grew upset at the moment. "I can't believe there are people who still want to take advantage of our dreams!" Dr. Fennel replied with a sad face.

"Dr. Fennel, is it possible that Musharna was trying to warn you all about this through Munna?" Cilan asked, thinking up a hypothesis. "I hadn't thought about that..." Dr. Fennel admitted.

Munna began nodding her head, as Dr. Fennel widened her eyes. "Munna...?-" Dr. Fennel asked, but then, the ground began to shake all of a sudden. A dream field spreaded across the Dreamyard.

"What's this!?" Meowth yelped. "Is this... some kind of a force field?" Takeru asked. "I think so..." Cilan asked. Riolu shivered as he held onto the Nuvema boy tightly.

_"Now what's going on, Takeru?"_ Riolu asked, looking around. "I think we're about to find out..." Takeru explained. At that answer, a shrieking cry of a Pokémon came out, like it was in pain. "Nyaaaaar!" The cry shrieked.

"I think that was Musharna's cry!" Dr. Fennel pointed out. At the name, the evil trio grew curious. "Musharna?" Jessie repeated in question. "Musharna is the Pokémon that helped with the experiments in the Laboratory!" James answered.

Meowth sneered at that explanation. "Hey, then that means we could gather up the remaining energy and we could also catch the Pokémon that's the source of that energy at the same time!" Meowth plotted.

Takeru managed to hear the plan as he pointed at the three. "Don't even think about it! You're not gonna get away with this again!" Takeru snapped. Riolu did the same, growling at the trio.

At this time, everyone, except the evil trio began to call for the Psychic Type. "Musharna, where are you!?" Dr. Fennel called. "Munna!" Munna called along, helping out with the call.

"Come on! Answer us!" "Pika Pika!" Ash and Pikachu called out. "Musharna! Can you hear us!? Can you hear our voices!?" Takeru called. _"Musharna!"_ Riolu barked along.

"Musharna!" Cilan called. "Musharna!" "Ax ew ew!" Iris and Axew called out as well. Just then, a pink ball of light appeared, forming a shape of a familiar Pokémon.

Dr. Fennel recognized of who it was. "It's Musharna!" Dr. Fennel replied with a smile. "Munna!" Munna cried out along. The four trainers were amazed as the ball of light formed into the Psychic Type.

"Musharna- Eek!" Dr. Fennel started. She and Munna tried to run towards the Psychic Type, but at the same time, a laser was shot at them, as it barely missed. "Wha..." "Dr. Fennel!" Takeru and Ash gasped.

The two boys ran, with the laser being shot at them too, in warning. "Musharna- Ah!" Dr. Fennel started again, but was interrupted by another laser shot. "We'll be taking Musharna as possession, thank you!" James sneered.

As the lasers were shooting at Ash, Takeru, and Dr. Fennel, an ray of energy went, trying to capture the Psychic Type. The scientist widened her eyes in shock as she tried to stop this.

"No! Musharna!" "What!?" "Musharna!" Dr. Fennel, Takeru, and Ash gasped. The scientist looked at the evil trio, pleading with them. "Stop what you're doing, please!" Dr. Fennel pleaded.

Jessie scoffed, ignoring her. "Musharna's now a proud member of Team Rocket!" Jessie declared. "A lifetime member..." James started, before the Nuvema boy pointed at them in disgust.

"Keep it to yourself! Didn't I just say that you won't get away with this! Riolu, give them some proof with Force Palm!" Takeru shouted. _"Right!"_ Riolu barked in agreement as he ran to the machine.

Ash made a determined face as he placed his hat back on from Pikachu. "Pikachu, quick! Let's help Riolu free Musharna! Use Volt Tackle, now!" Ash shouted.

Both Riolu and Pikachu ran towards the machine with their Electric Type attacks, as a laser was shot at them, which they managed to dodge. Dr. Fennel looked at Munna with a serious look.

"Alright, Munna! Use Psychic!" Dr. Fennel called. Munna did her thing, using the powerful move to crush the machine, before ThunderPunch and Volt Tackle was able to finish it off!

"Let's go!" "Do it!" Ash and Takeru shouted out. As the machine was destroyed, Musharna was freed, with the area turning back to normal. Jessie grunted as she took out a Pokéball.

Takeru noticed as he took out Pidove's Pokéball. "No, you don't! Woobat, use Gust!" "Stay where you are! Pidove, use Air Cutter!" Jessie and Takeru shouted out, summoning their Flying Types.

Woobat unleashed Gust, while Pidove blasted the Flying Type away with an Air Cutter attack. But, despite the attack, the Gust attack was enough distraction for the evil trio to escape.

As the four trainers ran to chase Team Rocket, they saw that they were out of sight. "They're gone!" Cilan gasped. "Drat... Those morons got away... AGAIN!" Takeru grunted, as he slammed his fists to the ground.

"Big brother, are you okay?" Riolu asked, feeling worried. At the time, the Nuvema boy didn't answer, but nodded. "Yeah... I'm fine, Riolu. No need to be concerned." Takeru assured.

He returned Pidove to its Pokéball with thanks as Ash turned to see the reunion between Musharna and Dr. Fennel. "It's okay! I mean, Dr. Fennel and Musharna are back together!" Ash assured.

The others looked to see the reunion as the scientist hugged the evolved Psychic Type. "Oh, Musharna... I'm so sorry that I didn't feel your prescence in such a long time!" Dr. Fennel apologized.

"Musharna!" The Psychic Type admitted, that she missed the scientist. As they separated from their embrace, Dr. Fennel smiled. "From now on, we'll never be apart!" Dr. Fennel promised.

She then looked at the four trainers with a smile. "I can't thank you enough, Ash, Takeru!" Dr. Fennel thanked. "I'm really happy for you, Dr.! Right, Takeru?" Ash asked, elbowing the Nuvema boy.

"Hm? Oh yes... Yeah. I'm happy for you as well, Dr. Fennel!" Takeru assured with a small smile. "Pika!" _"It's a great reunion!"_ Pikachu and Riolu agreed, with happy faces on them.

"Oh, what a beautiful reunion to behold! Dr. Fennel and Musharna's twin hearts reunited once again! Such exquisite harmony!" Cilan pointed out. Officer Jenny walked over with a smile as well.

"Well... I would say that this case is closed!" Officer Jenny pointed out. Everyone agreed as the sun had set.

**The next morning...**

"You're going on a journey?" Chili asked in shock. "Are you serious?" Cress asked, unsure. Ash and Takeru were waiting in front of the Striaton Gym, where they were waiting for Cilan.

Cilan admitted, last night that he wanted to travel with the two boys to discover what parts are there in Unova. Therefore, he had to tell his two brothers to take care of the Gym.

"I'm as serious as I can be! Both Ash and Takeru had our battle twice, our talk has convinced me, that I couldn't just resist the urge anymore!" Cilan explained. He took a glance at the two boys.

Ash seemed dazed of what was going on. Takeru just glanced back with a serious look, while Riolu and Pikachu were on their trainers' shoulder.

"It's so clear! There's more to pairing of Pokémon and trainer than I orignally thought! Much more! I know this will help me become an even better Pokémon Connoisseur!" Cilan assured.

Chili was up for the reason with a smile. "If that's the case, we won't stop you!" Chili smirked. Cress was up for it as well. "We want you to become the best... the best Pokémon Connoisseur in the world!" Cress replied.

"Thank you both!" Cilan thanked. "You just leave the Striaton Gym to us!" Chili replied. "Yes... And best wishes on your journey, Cilan." Cress replied. Cilan nodded with a smile as he said his farewell to his brothers.

He joined up with the two boys as they walked together, heading out of the city. "So, Cilan! Where are you headed?" Ash asked. The Grass Type Gym Leader smirked with an obvious answer.

"Wherever you and Takeru are headed! I want to go on the journey with the two of you! Plus, remember! You two haven't answered all my questions yet!" Cilan reminded with a wink.

Takeru sighed at this. "So that's the whole reason why you're coming? Just to get our answers?" Takeru asked. "That's not the only reason! My other reasons are for you to find out!" Cilan chuckled.

Both Takeru and Riolu sweat dropped at that, as Cilan explained. "If we go on a journey together, I'm sure there's no doubt that the journey will be full of full of flavor!" Cilan explained.

With some thoughts, both boys smiled with an agreement. "Okay then! Let's travel together!" Ash exclaimed. "Well, that's fine by me! What do you think, Riolu?" Takeru asked.

_"I think I'm going to like it!"_ Riolu barked with excitement. The Nuvema boy laughed with a chuckle as Cilan took out a digital Town Map. "Let's see where the next Gym will be!" Cilan chuckled.

He checked the location, finding the perfect place. "Looks like... Nacrene City! That's the Nacrene Gym!" Cilan pointed out. "Nacrene Gym, huh? Guess that means Riolu will be going again!" Takeru smirked. Riolu cheered with a nod.

"Okay then!" Ash agreed with a grin. "By the way! Where's Iris?" Cilan asked. "You're asking me?" Takeru asked. Just then, Iris jumped out of a tree, surprising both Ash and Cilan.

She only startled Takeru, though, along with Riolu. "Did I scare you?" Iris asked. "Of course you did!" Ash snapped, annoyed with the surprise. Iris giggled as she looked at the Nuvema boy.

"You only startled me and Riolu. There is a difference, you know." Takeru reminded. Iris giggled, as the Connoisseur made up a thought. "Say, why don't we three all travel together?" Cilan asked.

The suggestion left the three bewildered before the Pokémon Connoisseur explained. "It seems to me the way we compliment each other is a winning team making for a great recipe!" Cilan explained.

"You think so?" Ash asked. The Nuvema boy sighed as he rubbed the back of his head. "Well then... If that's the case, then why not?" Takeru asked. _"Does that mean more friends?"_ Riolu asked.

Takeru smiled, rubbing Riolu's head with a smile. "Yes, Riolu. There will be more friends." Takeru agreed. With that answer, Riolu let out a happy chirp as Iris looked at Ash with a bored look.

"Oh, so you're Mr. Decision Maker?" Iris snorted. Ash ignored the teasing as he made up his mind. "Let's make our dreams come true together! Come on!" Ash exclaimed.

He looked at his three friends with a reason. "I want to become the world's greatest Pokémon Master! Cilan wants to become the world's super Connoisseur!" Ash explained.

He then turned to the Nuvema boy and Iris. "Hey, Takeru! What's your dream?" Ash asked. Takeru blinked in surprise as he rubbed his arm. "I... I don't have a dream, I guess." Takeru answered.

Ash, Cilan, and Iris all blinked in surprise as Cilan grew curious. "I thought you wanted to become the new Unova Champion, Takeru?" Cilan asked. That left the Nuvema boy smiling sadly.

"Y-Yeah... That's my dream! Thanks for the reminder, Cilan!" Takeru smirked, as the others smiled along. "You're welcome, then!" Cilan chuckled. Riolu only looked at Takeru with a frown.

He knew that it wasn't Takeru's true dream, but chose to go along with it. Ash then turned to Iris. "And Iris!... What did you want to be again?" Ash asked. Iris giggled and began to run.

"It's a secret!" Iris laughed as Axew agreed with it. The two began to run as the three boys grew confused. Then, the three laughed along as they went after Iris, with the four traveling together.

Stay tuned for some more events!

To be continued...

**Takeru's Team:**

**Riolu: (M): (Force Palm, Blaze Kick, ThunderPunch, Dig)**

**Joltik: (M): (Electro Ball, Signal Beam, String Shot, Electroweb)**

**Pidove: (M): (Air Cutter, Gust, Aerial Ace, Quick Attack)**

Next chapters:

**Chapter 13: Ash VS Snivy! The Chase!**

**Chapter 14: Snivy's Test**

**Chapter 15: The Food Thieves on Fire!**

**Chapter 16: The Darmanitan Task!**

**Chapter 17: Axew to Sneeze!**

**Next chapter preview:**

Ash: Oh man... I'm so hungry... What the!? Who just ate the rest of the muffins!?

Cilan: I was certain that I had seconds here all prepared.

Takeru: I believe that this Snivy here is the culprit of the muffin problem.

Ash: Cool! In that case, I'm going to catch Snivy!

Iris: Ash! If you caught it, you'd have five! Leave one for Takeru since he has three!

Takeru: I'd think not. After all, Snivy here is going to play hard to catch.


	13. Ash VS Snivy! The Chase!

**Chapter 13: Ash VS Snivy! The Chase!**

It was a bright afternoon, as Takeru, Ash, Iris, and Cilan were walking on the path route down to Nacrene City, where Ash and Takeru's second Gym challenge would be in at the moment.

Right now, by the look on Ash's face, he doesn't feel happy right at the moment. There was rumbling, which was coming from Ash's stomach. The Kanto trainer groaned, putting a hand on his stomach.

"Man... I need food and quick!" Ash groaned, feeling hungry at the moment. "Pika..." Pikachu agreed, feeling hungry as well. Just then, there was another stomach rumbling as everyone turned to Riolu.

The Emanation Pokémon blushed as he turned his head away with a fake tone. _"I-I'm not hungry!"_ Riolu protested. But, another stomach rumbling came out, as Takeru let out a chuckle.

He poked his Fighting Type's stomach with a teasing smile. "Well then. Then, why are you blushing? You shouldn't be if you're hungry right now." Takeru teased, leaving his Riolu to whine a little.

_"Aw... Big brother!"_ Riolu whined, trying to hide his face. Everyone smiled, until another stomach rumbling sounded out. This time, it was coming from the Nuvema Boy's stomach as he sighed.

"I just had to say that out loud now, didn't I?" Takeru muttered, sweat dropping. Cilan gave a pat on the Nuvema boy's shoulder with a reassuring smile.

"There's nothing to be ashamed about! It IS lunchtime, now." Cilan reminded. Iris nodded as she gave a suggestion. "So? Why don't we stop here for lunch, then?" Iris asked.

Ash was up for it. "Yeah! Good idea!" Ash agreed. Iris smiled as she nodded. "Okay! Wait here! I'll go get things ready!" Iris volunteered. She jumped into the shrubs, gathering some things to eat.

While Iris was searching, Cilan, Ash, and Takeru sat in front of a large stump that could be big enough for a table. "Alright, guys! We're all set!" Iris called, walking with a basket full of fruits.

"Fresh as fresh can be! Dig in!" Iris called, placing the basket down. The three boys looked to see the fruits, as Ash was up for the food, while Takeru was a bit satisfied.

Riolu looked at the fruits hungrily, as Cilan sweat dropped. "Check it out! Wow, does that look good!" Ash replied with a grin. "Eat all you want!" Iris called. "Even though it's just some fruits!" Cilan chuckled nervously.

The three young trainers reached for the basket, with Axew, Riolu, and Pikachu doing the same, until Cilan made a quick suggestion. "Hold on! Just a minute!" Cilan called.

Everyone looked at the Connoisseur in confusion.

It was then as Cilan took the fruits, baking them into something even more delicious than just normal fruits. The other three with their Pokémon partner waited on the table.

The crackling of the food from the heat made Riolu's mouth water a little, until Takeru cleaned it up with his napkin. "Is it ready? I'm starved!" Ash asked, impatient for the food.

A few minutes later, Cilan came by, with two plates of fruit muffins and cakes. "Sorry for the wait! Here you go!" Cilan called, placing the plates down, with food that had delicious aroma around it.

"I pureed the fruit, and made fruit muffins and cakes!" Cilan explained. "Wow... That smells awesome! Now, for the taste test!" Ash replied as he took a muffin before taking a bite out of it.

As the others watched, Ash grinned happily. "Yummy!" Ash cried out, before taking another big bite. This time, Pikachu took a bite as well, along with Riolu. The two Pokémon tasted theirs, before making happy cries out of it.

"Only a kid would make such a big deal out of this... Truth is, I only eat fresh fruit!" Iris stated. She took one of the muffins, and began eating it, before swallowing part of it.

The expression on her face was a surprised look as Cilan asked her. "And, how is it?" Cilan asked. Iris took another bite, before tasting it again. "You know, Cilan! You're a master chef!" Iris called.

"Well, I'm so happy that you're enjoying it!" Cilan chuckled. Takeru sweat dropped at the girl with a face palm. "Now, who's the kid here?" Takeru asked as he took one of the muffins as well.

After chewing it a little, the Nuvema boy smiled with satisfaction. "Then again, I guess you all have a point!" Takeru chuckled, before taking another big bite out of his fruit muffin.

"Wow! If I can eat this delicious food every single day, maybe traveling with you three won't be so bad!" Iris replied. "Won't be SO bad?" Takeru repeated, growing a tick on his face.

The red tick caused Iris to sweat drop as she laughed nervously at that. "Yeah! Well, she's right there, Takeru!" Ash agreed, his voice muffled with the muffins he's eating at the moment.

"Ash! Takeru! If you two are still hungry, there are seconds, you know!" Cilan reminded. "Sounds good to me!" Ash grinned as he ran for seconds. Iris blinked before getting up as well.

"Hey, Ash! Save some for me, too!" Iris called, with her mouth full from the muffin. Takeru chuckled as he got up, despite that he only ate one muffin.

The three young trainers ran over to where Cilan said that there would be seconds. But, as they got to the area, there weren't any at all! "Cilan, are you pulling our tails? Because, there is NO seconds." Takeru replied, frowning at the moment.

_"Huh!? No seconds!?"_ Riolu yelped in surprise. The Connoisseur walked over, confused of his words. "Hm... That doesn't make sense! There was plenty of food here a second ago! I'm sure of it!" Cilan assured.

The Connoisseur frowned as Riolu sighed with disappointment. The Nuvema boy held his Emanation Pokémon with a smile. "That's so weird! Then, what in the world could've happened to it?" Iris asked.

"Axew!" Axew agreed, popping out of Iris' hair, also looking around for clues. Just then, there was a rustle on the tall grasses up ahead. Iris noticed first.

"Huh? There's something moving in the grass over there!" Iris pointed out. The three boys looked to see the rustling grasses as well.

**(Pokémon: BW Best Wishes Opening: Be An Arrow! (English Subbed))**

(Ash, Takeru, Cilan, and Iris are running with Pikachu, Riolu, Pansage, and Axew, with colorful arrows flying above them as they ran to a light!)

**_One swiftly running arrow!_**

(A blue pillar and orange pillar appears, showing Ash and Pikachu, with Takeru and Riolu)

_**One supple arrow!**_

(A purple pillar appears, showing Iris and Axew)

_**One thinking arrow!**_

(A yellow green pillar appears, showing Cilan)

_**That's us now!**_

(Ash, Takeru, Cilan, and Iris stand together as they move towards the air together)

**_Cross the green mountain, remove the white clouds_**

(The Japanese opening appears)

_**Let's colorfully push through the wilderness, become an arrow!**_

(A group of wild Pokémon from the five regions run or fly along)

_**Even if we suddenly turn around, twist, and shake**_

(Ash, Cilan, Takeru, and Iris are running alongside with the Water Type Pokémon on the sea)

(Meloetta suddenly appears, snatching Ash's hat from his head)

_**There's no way that we'll get separated!**_

(In Prof. Oak's laboratory, all of Ash's Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh were there; Charizard gives a thumbs up to the screen)

_**Sometimes I can no longer see the road, and don't know where to go**_

(Ash and Takeru were stopped by giant pillars, blocking their way)

_**But you will always be by my side!**_

(Pikachu and Riolu appears, with Pikachu using Thunderbolt, while Riolu uses Aura Sphere)

(Both trainers and Pokémon smile happily at each other)

_**Even the bright sun is hidden by the clouds sometimes**_

(Keldeo, Cobalion, Virizion, and Terrakion stands together on top of an ice)

(Kyurem appears, turning into either Black or White Kyurem)

_**But meetings will always bring light!**_

(Cynthia and Alder smile at the four trainers standing at the bottom)

(Hikaru and Dawn comes by, with Infernape using Flamethrower, as Piplup uses Hydro Pump)

(Jessie, James, and Meowth let out evil smirks)

_**One too hot arrow!**_

(Stephan and Sawk pose together, standing together)

_**Two competitive arrows!**_

(Trip and Servine appears together after the dust clears)

_**Three helpful arrows!**_

(Bianca comes by with Pignite, as the two fall together)

_**So the heart will never break!**_

(Trip, Dawn, Hikaru, Iris, Ash, Takeru, Cilan, Bianca, and Stephan stand together with their Pokémon partners)

_**Aim forward as an arrow!**_

(Everyone shoots in the air, towards the sky)

_**Shine greater than even now as an arrow!**_  
_**Thrust toward your dream!**_

(Everyone combines together, creating a huge arrow, shooting towards the building)

(Takeru, Ash, Cilan, and Iris all stand together with all of their current Pokémon)

(Ash: Pikachu, Oshawott, Snivy, Tepig, and Pidove)  
(Takeru: Riolu, Pidove, Tepig, and Joltik)  
(Iris: Axew and Excadrill)  
(Cilan: Pansage)

**(Opening ends)**

After seeing that the tall grass was rustling, both Ash and Takeru went on ahead to investigate. "Hey, Ash. Look over there!" Takeru pointed out. The Kanto trainer grew confused before seeing a Pokémon.

It was a Snivy! It seemed to be enjoying eating one of the fruit muffins that Cilan had made. "Hey, that's a Snivy! It's one of three starter Pokémon you can get in the Unova region!" Ash exclaimed.

He grinned, taking out an empty Pokéball. "Wow! And I'm gonna catch it now! Awesome! Alright, go, Pokéball!" Ash called, throwing the ball. By the time he threw it, Iris and Cilan has arrived.

The two witnessed the throw as Takeru grew alarmed. "Hey, Ash!?" Takeru yelped in surprise. Even Riolu was startled by the sudden ambition to catch the Grass Type Pokémon.

As the Pokéball hit Snivy, it suck it inside, as the ball began to shake for a while. "Huh? Did you get it?" Iris asked. "I sure did!" Ash agreed with a grin.

But, just as the Pokéball landed, Takeru frowned. "No... I don't think so!" Takeru grunted. Riolu looked confused, before looking at the shaking Pokéball as well. The shaking stopped as the ball opened!

Snivy appeared out of the Pokéball, as it slapped its tail on the ball, sending it back to Ash. The Kanto trainer caught the ball, as he gritted his teeth, not happy that he failed with the capture.

With that said, Snivy ran into the tall grasses, just as Takeru, Iris, and Cilan ran over. "If Snivy went into your Pokéball like that, it must be a wild Pokémon!" Iris guessed.

"Well, it makes sense, since it didn't bounce off of Snivy instead..." Takeru replied, making thoughts over it. Ash grinned as he nodded.

"Snivy's a Grass Type Pokémon, right? Well, I wanna catch that Pokémon for sure!" Ash explained. He looked back to where Snivy had ran off, with a promise in his hands.

"Okay, Snivy! I'm coming!" Ash called, running for the Grass Type. The others followed as Ash grew determined. "You're gonna be my Pokémon, no doubt!" Ash assured as he and the others ran.

As they ran, Riolu spotted the Grass Type with his Aura, seeing that it was still eating the muffin. Takeru bit his lips as Ash stepped up. "There you are! Okay, Pikachu! Quick Attack, go!" Ash called.

Pikachu nodded as he shot forward to Snivy for a quick, sneak attack. However, this turned out to be futile, as Snivy had already seen through the attack as it quickly jumped out of the way.

"Ah! It dodged!" Ash grunted. "Hey, Ash. There are words that Snivy are known to be really intelligent! So, don't underestimate it just because of the size and all, because it won't be easy to catch." Takeru reminded.

As the Nuvema boy said his words, Snivy ate the last of the muffin it had, before it got serious, getting ready for the battle. It then smirked, putting her nose up in the air.

"Uh... Looks like you're being made fun of!" Iris stated, sweat dropping. The taunt from Snivy made Ash more determined as he got ready. "What? Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Ash yelled.

Pikachu nodded as he began to shock the Grass Type. But again, the Grass Snake Pokémon saw it coming as it winked at the Electric Type, sending hearts at the charging Electric Type.

As the hearts made contact with Pikachu, the Electric Type looked as if he had fell in love with Snivy! "Hey, what's up, Pikachu?" Ash asked. "Attract is what's up. Pikachu is in love with Snivy for a moment!" Takeru answered.

He face palmed, while Riolu snickered under his paw, seeing the Electric Type dazed by Attract. Ash gasped in surprise, as Cilan explained.

"Attract. A move that causes infatuation between Pokémon of the opposite gender!" Cilan explained. "Oh boy... Ash, you don't even know that? What a kid!" Iris groaned, as Takeru sighed.

"Well, don't just stand there! Snivy is already set for another attack! Since Attract worked, Snivy must be a female, then!" Takeru snapped. At those words, Snivy began to attack.

She started to use Vine Whip, lashing it at her opponent. Some of the vines hit Pikachu, as she kept going. "Pikachu!" Ash yelled, running to protect his Electric Type.

He took some Vine Whip on his back, much to Takeru and Riolu's surprise. "Wha... Ash!?" Takeru yelled. As Snivy continued to use Vine Whip, Takeru made his call for an attack.

"You asked for this! Blaze Kick, let's go!" Takeru called. _"Right!"_ Riolu agreed, as he slammed his foot towards the ground, threatening Snivy. That didn't seem to faze her, though.

She only glared at Riolu, aiming Vine Whip at him. This time, it had Takeru's wrist, hitting his wristband as he deflected Vine Whip, much to the Grass Type's surprise. "Are you okay, Pikachu?" Ash asked.

"Pika..." Pikachu replied, worried about his trainer. As Ash was caring for Pikachu, both Takeru and Riolu faced Snivy, who was dazed by Ash's actions. She then scoffed, using Leaf Storm.

She made a distraction, disappearing as Leaf Storm was finished. "Big bro. Snivy got away!" Riolu pointed out. Takeru narrowed his eyes as he nodded. Ash seemed to notice as he ran over, too.

"I doubt that this will be the last time of us seeing Snivy." Takeru assured, as he rubbed his wrist, which his left wristband had a little rip on the edge. "Sorry about that, Takeru." Ash said, apologizing.

"You don't have to apologize. It's Snivy who caused the damage." Takeru assured. Cilan and Iris ran over, with Cilan intrigued.

"Hm... Incredible! Snivy's moves, are really high-leveled!" Cilan stated. "I wonder... if it had abandoned its trainer!" Iris guessed. The statement startled Takeru, as it had surprised Ash.

"What does that mean?" Ash asked. "Cilan said, that Snivy are intelligent! I've heard, if they really have a bad trainer, they'll leave them!" Iris explained. Takeru frowned, with Riolu blinking.

"I've heard about that, too... If this Snivy left his trainer, I wouldn't be so surprised, since she must've had a no good trainer, perhaps..." Takeru agreed, looking back to where Snivy had escaped.

Ash let out a grin at that. "Well, if that's true, then I want Snivy more than ever! There's no doubt that I'm gonna catch that Snivy now!" Ash smirked. The Electric Type shook his head, before agreeing.

Iris sighed with the typical determination. "Can't the two of you just calm down?" Iris asked. Ash shook his head with a smile. "Iris, this is no time for calming down! Pidove, go find Snivy!" Ash called.

He took out the Flying Type's Pokéball, summoning her to make an investigation. Pidove let out a chirp, before flying off to find the Grass Type. As the three got ready, they looked around.

For some strange reason, Takeru and Riolu were nowhere to be found. "Huh? Where did Takeru go?" Ash asked. "And Riolu is gone, too!" Cilan pointed out.

"You don't think that he went after Snivy?" Iris asked. "Hmm..." Cilan replied, making thoughts, as the Kanto trainer looked around. "Takeru... Where did you go?" Ash asked.

**Meanwhile...**

Takeru and Riolu were on their way, trying to find Snivy. Riolu was able to use Aura in order to find the Grass Type. Just then, they heard voices. _"Big brother, did you hear that?"_ Riolu asked.

Takeru nodded as they stayed low, crawling to see who was talking. As they got near to the end of the tall grass, they saw who it was. It was Team Rocket! They were plotting about something.

"Secret organization... huh. I wonder who they are!" Jessie replied. James crossed his arms and frowned. At the tall grasses, Takeru frowned of hearing the words, secret organization.

"Another organization?" Takeru whispered to himself. He shook his head, listening to more. "Well, whatever the deal is, we'd better be extra careful!" Meowth added, feeling serious.

Takeru bit his lips, knowing that there are two evil organizations to be dealt with. "This just keeps getting worse, with more crooks to deal with..." Takeru muttered, narrowing his eyes.

_"Should we get out of here, big bro?"_ Riolu asked. "Yeah, before they can hear us." Takeru agreed. The two nodded as they tried to crawl back out. But then, there was a rustle on the tall grass.

Jessie seemed to notice, not seeing Takeru, but saw Snivy instead! "Hm? Who's that Pokémon?" Jessie asked. "It's a Snivy, yes!" James answered, seeing the Grass Type walking away.

Then, Meowth gasped, pointing at Takeru and Riolu. "And it's the twerp with the Riolu!" Meowth snapped. Jessie and James gritted their teeth, as Takeru and Riolu showed themselves.

"I don't know what organization you were talking about at the moment, but I can tell you're planning to do more no good things, Team Rocket!" Takeru snapped, pointing at the evil trio.

"You and your lousy ears!" Jessie shrieked. She then took out a Pokéball, but aimed it at Snivy. "We'll deal with you later, twerp! We'll be capturing that Snivy first thing!" Jessie called.

She threw a Pokéball at the Grass Type, which Snivy noticed and began to run. "Run, Snivy!" Takeru yelled. "No, you don't!" Meowth yelled, aiming a Fury Swipes attack at both Takeru and Riolu.

Snivy managed to dodge the ball, before seeing the two getting attacked by Meowth. "Time for some Fury Swipes!" Meowth yelled. "Nice try, but no good! Riolu, Blaze Kick, again!" Takeru yelled.

_"On it!"_ Riolu barked, as he slammed his blazing foot at Meowth, who flinched in pain. "Ouchie! That burns and hurts at the same time!" Meowth yelped, holding his stomach, where it was hit.

Snivy noticed both Takeru and Riolu fighting together, as Takeru took out his Pokéball. "See ya, morons. Pidove, distract them with Air Cutter!" Takeru called, summoning the Tiny Pigeon Pokémon.

Pidove unleashed the attack, blasting the evil trio as a warning, as Team Rocket resisted the attack. At that time, the Nuvema boy grabbed Snivy, and ran for it with his two Pokémon.

Snivy was startled at first, that a human boy was helping him, but allowed him to carry her as they made their escape. As the smoke cleared for the evil trio, Meowth looked around for any sign.

"There's no way!" Meowth yelped, shocked that the Nuvema boy, Riolu, Pidove, and Snivy had escaped so easily.

Back to Takeru, he ran up to the rocky hill as he placed Snivy back on the ground. "That was a close call. You okay, Snivy?" Takeru asked. Snivy blinked before nodding slowly.

She laid down on a smooth rock, silently thanking the boy. _"Big bro. Snivy is thanking us for the help!"_ Riolu barked out. "Well, I'm glad to hear it." Takeru smirked.

That got the attention of the Grass Type again. Big bro? And a boy understanding his Riolu? This got a bit more surprising. "Let's rest up here, okay, Riolu?" Takeru asked, moving to one side.

That side was a bit far away from Snivy as she got up, asking the boy, which only Riolu understand. _"She asked if you're gonna try and capture her or not."_ Riolu translated.

Takeru frowned and shook his head. "After seeing you battle? No, thanks. Besides, with your Attract, all of my Pokémon would have the disadvantages. And I have no interest of catching you." Takeru explained.

That caused the Grass Type to blink in shock, seeing that a human had no intention of capturing her. She smiled at his warm heart as she laid back down for a nap.

Takeru looked up at the sky with Riolu, as the Grass Type did the same. Snivy had many wonders, wondering of the time when Ash had protected Pikachu from her Vine Whip attack.

She shook her head, before falling asleep to take a nap. Takeru made some thoughts, as if he was wondering where the others were before he took his nap, along with his Emanation Pokémon.

What he didn't notice, was that Ash's Pidove was flying around, spotting both the Nuvema boy and Snivy. Pidove chirped a little, before flying away.

Later, Takeru felt someone's prescence as he got up, while waking Riolu at the same time. _"H-Huh? Is it dinner yet?"_ Riolu sleepily yawned. The Nuvema boy smiled, shaking his head.

"No, Riolu. I think the others might've caught up to us!" Takeru answered. Riolu rubbed his sleepy eyes, as he and Takeru walked to the cliff, seeing who was coming. It was Ash and Pikachu!

"Hey, Takeru! There you are! Where have you been!?" Ash yelled. "I've been doing the same thing like you were doing! Searching for Snivy!" Takeru called. "Did you find her?" Ash asked.

Before the Nuvema boy could answer, Snivy walked over, glaring at the Kanto trainer as Ash made his demand. "Snivy! I want to battle you again!" Ash called.

Before either Takeru of Snivy could respond, Oshawott appeared out of his Pokéball again! Oshawott looked as if he was pleading the Kanto trainer if he could battle the Grass Snake Pokémon.

"Hold on... You want to battle Snivy this time?" Ash asked. "Oshawott!" Oshawott agreed, grinning. Both Takeru and Riolu sweat dropped at the idea.

"Bad idea. You know that Oshawott has a type disadvantage towards a Grass Type like Snivy!" Takeru reminded. _"You won't stand a chance, Oshawott!"_ Riolu taunted, scoffing.

Oshawott glared at the Emanation Pokémon angrily as he demanded that he take it back, only for Riolu to ignore it. But, Ash seemed to accept it. "Okay then! Go for it, Oshawott!" Ash called.

Both Takeru and Riolu fell over, with Snivy sweat dropping. Ash didn't listen to what the Nuvema boy had said! With that, Ash, Pikachu, and Oshawott began to climb towards Snivy and Takeru.

Snivy grew annoyed as she slammed a big rock, causing it to tumble towards Ash and his two Pokémon! Both Takeru and Riolu widened their eyes as the three managed to dodge it.

The Nuvema boy glared at the Grass Type with anger. "Are you nuts! That could've killed those three!" Takeru snapped. Snivy made some words, as Riolu translated it. Riolu growled at that.

_"She says that she puts a test to the ones that are stalking her."_ Riolu explained. Takeru bit his lips as he ran over to the edge, to see if his Kanto friend was alright. "Hey, Ash! Are you alright?" Takeru asked.

_"Pikachu! Oshawott?"_ Riolu barked. To the two's surprise, Ash had climbed all the way up, getting to the top of the cliff! Takeru held his hand out, as Ash took it, while Riolu took Pikachu's.

The two helped their friends up, as Ash and Pikachu smiled. "Whoa, thanks, Takeru!" Ash thanked. "Pikachu!" Pikachu thanked along. "Sure, no problem." Takeru replied with a smirk.

_"Be careful when you're climbing next time."_ Riolu warned. Pikachu nodded sheepishly as the two got out of the way for Ash and Oshawott to battle the Grass Snake Pokémon.

"I'm gonna catch you this time! Just watch! Now, Oshawott! Use Water Gun!" Ash called, as Oshawott prepared to shoot the Water Type move. How will this attempt go? Will Ash catch Snivy this time, or will Snivy play it more hard to catch?

Stay tuned to find out!

To be continued...

**Takeru's Team:**

**Riolu: (M): (Force Palm, Blaze Kick, ThunderPunch, Dig)**

**Joltik: (M): (Electro Ball, Electroweb, String Shot, Signal Beam)**

**Pidove: (M): (Air Cutter, Gust, Quick Attack, Aerial Ace)**

Next chapters:

**Chapter 14: Snivy's Test**

**Chapter 15: The Food Thieves on Fire!**

**Chapter 16: The Darmanitan Task!**

**Chapter 17: Axew to Sneeze!**

**Chapter 18: The Scolipede Rampage!**

**Next chapter preview:**

Ash: Just you wait, Snivy! I'll be catching you, no matter what it takes!

Iris: Would you just give up, Ash?! You're such a kid!

Takeru: Keep it to yourself, Iris, until he really does give up.

Cilan: I doubt that there is such a word in his dictionary, my guess.

Ash: Okay then! I'll fight until this battle is done, and when I catch you!

Takeru: Just remember that Snivy will be playing hard to get the more you try.


	14. Snivy's Test!

**Chapter 14: Snivy's Test!**

Last time on "Pokémon Unova Journey", the group were taking a break for lunch as Iris brought over some fresh fruits for the four trainers to eat. Cilan then made a suggestion to cook them into cakes and muffins.

As Takeru, Ash, and Iris were eating with their three Pokémon partners, there were thought to be seconds, only for them to discover that the seconds were stolen by a Pokémon named Snivy.

Ash attempted to catch it with Pikachu, only for Pikachu to fall prey with Attract. As she was about to strike Riolu and Pikachu, both Takeru and Ash defended their Pokémon, much to the Grass Type's surprise.

Takeru secretly went after the Grass Type, making a little bond with it, after saving her from Team Rocket, and not intending to capture her, leaving her be for Ash to catch.

That was when Ash came by, with Pikachu and Oshawott, as Oshawott wanted to battle. Snivy then began to put the Kanto trainer to a test, seeing whether Ash could be worthy or not.

"I'm catching you this time! Just watch!" Ash called, grinning with determination. "Osha Oshawott!" Oshawott agreed. Ash got ready as both Takeru and Riolu got out of the way.

"Now, Oshawott! Use Water Gun!" Ash called. Oshawott shot the Water Type move, as Snivy dodged it, only for a droplet of water to squirt on her, much to her annoyance.

Snivy wiped it off as she got ready for more. That was when Iris and Cilan came up, as Cilan noticed the Nuvema boy with the Kanto trainer. "Well, there is Takeru!" Cilan stated, chuckling.

"Hey, why is Ash battling, using Oshawott?" Iris asked. She grew confused as she called to the Kanto trainer. "Come on! Ash, don't you know that a Water Type is at an disadvantage against a Grass Type!?" Iris snapped.

"Ax ew ew!" Axew called out as well. The two boys looked at the girl with annoyance. "Hey, not so loud! Of course I know, Iris!" Ash reminded. "We all know, thank you very much!" Takeru assured.

Iris frowned as she crossed her arms. "Ash sure is an interesting guy! It must be Oshawott's enthusiasm that convinced him!" Cilan chuckled. Iris sighed as she made her opinion.

"Well... If you ask me, I think he isn't thinking through!" Iris replied, causing the Nuvema boy turn to her with a glare. "I don't think we asked for your opinion, Iris! That goes for you too, Axew!" Takeru warned.

Both of them paled up at his scary glare, causing Cilan to flinch as well. "Well well... Looks like Takeru has a Scary Face after all!" Cilan chuckled nervously as the boy looked back.

Snivy shot out Vine Whip, as Ash made his call. "Oshawott! Dodge it, quick!" Ash called. Oshawott took out his scalchops, deflecting Vine Whip, while dodging at the same time.

Ash grinned at that. "Way to go! Now, use Razor Shell!" Ash called. Oshawott prepared to use his strong attack, until Snivy countered with another Attract!

Like with Pikachu, Oshawott's attack was interrupted as he was infatuated by the female Grass Snake Pokémon. Oshawott groaned happily as Ash gritted his teeth. "Oh man! Not Attract again!" Ash groaned.

Snivy then finished the Water Type off with a Vine Whip, causing the Water Type to faint. "Oshawott, no!" Ash gasped. "Deflecting Vine Whip was a good thing, but getting hit by Attract? Not a pretty picture..." Takeru muttered.

Ash took out the Pokéball, returning the Sea Otter Pokémon. As he did that, Snivy hopped and ran off, escaping from the group again. "Snivy! Come back here!" Ash called.

He and Pikachu ran after the Grass Type again. Takeru, Iris, and Cilan followed, although Takeru managed to catch up to the Kanto trainer faster, leaving the other two behind.

Ash and Takeru ran after the escaping Snivy as Ash called out Pidove again. "Alright, Pidove! Keep following after Snivy!" Ash called. Pidove chirped with a nod, flying after the Grass Type.

Iris groaned, feeling annoyed with Ash's determination. "Please... Why can't just Ash just give up and give it a rest already? I've never seen anyone more stubborn!" Iris grunted.

"It's more likely determination, Iris! And like I said, we never asked for your opinion!" Takeru snapped, glancing back at the girl, as he followed Ash. Iris grew ticked off as she blew steam from her nose.

Cilan laughed nervously as he smiled sadly.

Meanwhile, being far from the others, Takeru and Riolu ran on ground, as they saw Snivy leaping through tree branches, taking the advantage of the chase. "_She's really fast!"_ Riolu replied, amazed.

"Well, Cilan did say that Snivy are known to be quick and intelligent." Takeru panted as the two kept going. Just then, the two looked behind, seeing Ash getting ready for something.

"Alright! Hop on board, Pikachu!" Ash called. "Pika!" Pikachu agreed. He jumped onto the Kanto trainer's shoulder as Ash grabbed a vine, swinging towards the Grass Snake Pokémon.

He swung on multiple vines, much to Takeru and Riolu's surprise. "Snivy is all mine!" Ash called, as he kept swinging towards the Grass Type. _"Um... Is Ash really a human?"_ Riolu asked.

The Emanation Pokémon sweat dropped as Takeru face palmed. "More like a Pansage, instead." Takeru muttered as the two kept on running after Snivy, along with Ash and Pikachu.

Snivy sighed, seeing Ash, but surprised to see that the Nuvema boy was following along with the chase. She jumped onto the lilypad on a muddy swamp. As Takeru and Riolu got there, they widened their eyes.

"Ash, stop! Don't swing over here!" Takeru warned, trying to stop the Kanto trainer, but it was too late. Both Ash and Pikachu were already swinging this way!

"Snivy, wait up- Ah!" Ash gasped suddenly as the vine snapped. Both the Unova citizens covered their eyes as Snivy got out of the way into the safe place, as the Kanto trainer and his Electric Type landed on the lilypad.

"Ash!" _"Pikachu!"_ Takeru and Riolu called out. The Kanto duo managed to get up, as Ash looked at his Electric Type. "Man... That was kind of scary... Pikachu, are you okay?" Ash asked.

Pikachu nodded, but it didn't seem okay to the two. The two boys and their Pokémon noticed that the lilypad started to sink, along with Ash and Pikachu!

The two gasped as they started to sink even faster. "Uh oh! We're starting to sink! Pikachu, quick! Get onto my shoulders!" Ash called. Pikachu nodded as he got onto the Kanto trainer's shoulder.

Takeru gritted his teeth as he summoned Joltik. "Joltik, help out those two with String Shot!" Takeru yelled. Joltik appeared, shooting the Bug Type move around Ash's right wrist.

Once it looked strong enough, both Takeru and Riolu held the tight string, with Joltik holding the end. "Okay! Now, just stay still, and we'll pull you out of there!" Takeru called.

"Okay!" Ash called, sweating a little. Little did they know was that Snivy was watching the whole thing. The Nuvema boy and his two Pokémon began to pull, trying to get Ash and Pikachu out of there.

The two budged a little, before the String Shot snapped. The movement caused both the Kanto duo to sink even more! "Ahh!" Ash yelped in shock. He turned to his Electric Type again.

"It's no good! Pikachu, on top of my head!" Ash called. Pikachu hesitated, before Ash gave him the order. The Electric Type nodded as he got onto Ash's hat. As for the Nuvema boy, he took a strong vine.

Joltik was panicking as Takeru threw the vine at Ash. "Grab this, and hold on!" Takeru called. "Okay!" Ash grunted as he held onto the rope, not wanting to slip.

With the Kanto trainer catching it, both Takeru and Riolu began to pull, as Iris and Cilan running by. "We'll help out! Pull!" Cilan called, as he and Iris helped out with the rescue.

"Just a little bit more!" "Easy does it!" Iris and Cilan called out, as the three trainers and Riolu continued pulling. Once both Ash and Pikachu were back to the land in safety, the Kanto trainer panted.

Pikachu got off of Ash's head as the Kanto trainer looked at his three friends. "Great... Thanks a lot, you three!" Ash thanked. He looked at the Electric Type with a smile.

"Hey, Pikachu! You doing okay?" Ash asked. Pikachu nodded with an assuring smile. "Well, that's a big relief... If Cilan and Iris weren't here, then you and Pikachu would've already sunk." Takeru sighed.

Riolu nodded as he wiped the sweat off of his forehead. The Pokémon Connoisseur frowned of thinking of what the Kanto trainer is thinking. "So, Ash! Still going after that Snivy?" Cilan asked.

"Yeah! Of course I am!" Ash exclaimed with a nod. Takeru and Riolu sweat dropped, seeing the determination blazing even more. "Hmm... You're very determined, despite of the experience you had, huh?" Takeru asked.

He smiled as Ash let out a grin. "Of course! There's no way I'm giving up when I came all this way!" Ash assured. Iris groaned, feeling more annoyed with the Kanto trainer's determination.

"Come on, Ash! Why don't you just give it up? After all, Snivy isn't just going to let you catch it! So, accept the fact that it's not happening!" Iris retorted, shrugging her shoulders.

"Well, who asked you to make a recommendation?" Takeru asked, narrowing his eyes. Iris turned red, annoyed with the Nuvema boy as well.

"I asked myself! What! Got a problem with it!?" Iris snapped. "Yeah! I do! It's just that your words of giving up is so annoying!" Takeru snapped back. Riolu barked along angrily.

Iris pouted angrily as she turned away. Cilan smiled sadly, trying to reason with the Kanto trainer. "Although your determination is impressive..." Cilan started, until Ash shook his head.

"Sorry! But, there's no way I'm giving up! Snivy's as good as mine!" Ash exclaimed. The Nuvema duo smiled with a nod as Cilan and Iris grew hesitant, before looking at each other with a slow nod.

Ash summoned the Tiny Pigeon Pokémon again, asking her to search for Snivy again. Pidove nodded with a chirp as she flew ahead, with the others following her, leading to where Snivy is.

Later, Pidove let out a loud chirp, circling around a location. "That must be where Snivy is..." Takeru stated. _"Ash is very persistent, isn't he, big bro?"_ Riolu asked, hanging onto Takeru's shoulder.

The Nuvema boy chuckled with a nod. "VERY persistent. I think his persistence is better than mine..." Takeru replied, before following the Kanto trainer, as he and Takeru ran ahead, with Cilan and Iris following them.

As the four trainers got to where Pidove was circling around, there was indeed the Grass Snake Pokémon. Ash ran up to her, facing the Grass Type. "Snivy! Got you, this time!" Ash called.

Snivy turned, closing her eyes at the moment, before opening them with a small smirk. Takeru was the first to notice as he and Riolu watched. "Alright Tepig, I choose you!" Ash called.

The Fire Pig Pokémon appeared, ready to make a battle with the Grass Type. Iris and Cilan arrived, seeing the beginning of the third battle. "Ash is using Tepig!" Iris called out.

"Well, Tepig is a Fire Type. So, it has an advantage over a Grass Type!" Cilan stated. Takeru narrowed his eyes, knowing that type advantages won't be enough to defeat Snivy that easily.

"Hey, Ash! Don't underestimate Snivy just because you have the type advantage! Remember, she still has Attract!" Takeru warned. _"I wonder if Tepig is next for the Attract target..."_ Riolu wondered.

That thought caused the Nuvema boy to sweat drop. "You wouldn't want to know, Riolu." Takeru reminded, thinking of what it would be like for Tepig to be in love with the Grass Snake.

"Sure! I know that!" Ash called, thanking the Nuvema boy for the warning. With that, he turned back as Snivy and Tepig faced each other. "Tepig, here's the deal! You need to attack before Snivy uses Attract!" Ash warned.

"Pika Pika!" Pikachu cheered along. With the warning in understanding, Ash called out an attack. "Alright then! Use Ember!" Ash called. Tepig ran, firing off several Ember attacks.

Snivy took this chance, dodging the attacks, much to Tepig's surprise. Snivy then winked, using Attract again! "Here it comes again!" Takeru called. It was too late to warn, as the Fire Type was hit by Attract!

Tepig was dazed, as he fell in love with the Grass Type, much to Ash's annoyance. "Man... This won't work! Tepig, return!" Ash called, recalling the Fire Type back to its Pokéball.

Snivy, this time didn't try to escape as she motioned Ash to bring it on. Ash gritted his teeth as Pikachu got ready to fight. Takeru bit his lips, knowing that Ash doesn't have a lot of options left.

Just then, he heard chirping noises as he looked to see Pidove flying above, looking like that she wanted to battle now. That gave the Nuvema boy an idea as he called to the Kanto trainer.

"Hey, Ash! You still have Pidove! Why not battle with your Flying Type?" Takeru suggested. Ash grinned, thanking his friend. "Great idea! Thanks, Takeru!" Ash thanked. He looked at his Flying Type.

"So, Pidove! You want to give it a try?" Ash called. Pidove chirped with a positive attitude as Ash turned to his Electric Type. "Pikachu, let's let Pidove have a try." Ash called.

Pikachu hesitated, but nodded as the Kanto trainer began the battle with his Tiny Pigeon Pokémon. "Why did Ash stop Pikachu?" Iris asked, as Takeru sweat dropped, knowing that Iris should know.

But, Cilan made the answer for him. "Because a Flying Type like Pidove has an advantage over a Grass Type like Snivy!" Cilan explained. Iris still wasn't so sure about this.

"But, if Pidove can't deal with Attract, it'll turn out the same!" Iris reminded. "No, it won't. Because Pidove is similar to with Snivy!" Takeru assured. That statement left both Cilan and Iris confused.

**Snivy VS Ash: Pidove**

Riolu watched in awe as Ash called for an attack. "Pidove! Gust, let's go!" Ash called. Pidove shot several Gust attacks, to which Snivy dodged all of them! Snivy then shot another Attract!

Ash was ready for this, though. "Alright, Pidove! Quick Attack, let's go!" Ash called. The Flying Type flew down, ready to make the move, until the hearts surrounded her! Ash gritted his teeth.

"Uh oh! Not again!" Ash grunted. "Did it work?" Cilan asked. "Just relax! Attract won't work on someone like Pidove!" Takeru assured. EVeryone turned in surprise as Pidove was hit.

Then, they all turned back, seeing that Pidove was still flying fine. She chirped happily, teasing the Grass Type that Attract didn't work on her. "Pidove wasn't attracted at all!" Cilan stated.

Riolu tugged onto his human brother's jeans. "Why didn't Attract work, big brother?" Riolu asked, curious of no effect. Takeru smiled, rubbing the Emanation Pokémon's head.

"That's because that Pidove is also a girl! Similar to Snivy!" Takeru answered. Both Iris and Cilan widened their eyes in surprise. "Oh, so that's what you meant by when Pidove was similar to Snivy!" Cilan chuckled.

Takeru nodded, as he smiled with the Flying Type. "I'll bet that you knew Pidove was a girl. Isn't it, Takeru?" Cilan asked. "You could say that, or otherwise, I wouldn't have suggested it!" Takeru smirked.

Iris sighed, looking at the Kanto trainer. "What do you know? Pidove's a girl! Talk about a lucky break!" Ash replied, looking at his female Flying Type.

Pikachu fell over, along with Riolu, as the three other trainers sighed. "What a kid..." Iris groaned. The Nuvema boy laughed nervously as he rubbed the back of his head with a sheepish look.

Snivy wasn't fazed that her Attract didn't work. She began to use Vine Whip, as Ash saw through it. "Pidove, dodge it!" Ash called. Pidove dodged the attack, as Snivy already made another move.

She unleashed a Leaf Storm attack, as Takeru warned his friend. "That's Leaf Storm!" Takeru called. Ash nodded and looked up. "Pidove! Dodge again!" Ash called.

Once again, the attack was dodged as the Kanto trainer called out his attack. "Alright! Pidove, use Gust!" Ash called. Pidove unleashed Gust, which finally made some damage to the Grass Type.

Snivy struggled to resist the attack as she was blown away by the powerful move. "Quick! Air Cutter, let's go!" Ash called. Pidove then unleashed the powerful attack, distracting Snivy.

"Use Quick Attack!" Ash shouted. Quick Attack was shot at the Grass Type, as she grunted in pain, tumbling on the rocky field. Snivy fell to the ground, as she tried to get up.

When she looked as if she couldn't, Ash took this chance to throw a Pokéball at her. "Okay! Go, Pokéball!" Ash called, throwing the ball at the weakened Grass Snake Pokémon.

The Pokéball sucked Snivy in as it began to shake. After some several shakes, the ball opened, showing that Snivy was still able to battle! "One more, Pidove! Use Quick Attack!" Ash called.

Pidove dove down, until it was countered by the Vine Whip attack! Pidove chirped in startle as she was whipped away. "Way to go! Pidove, use Air Cutter!" Ash called.

Pidove unleashed another Air Cutter, which this time made a direct hit at Snivy! She squealed in pain as she was sent to the air, and back to the ground as she tumbled on the ground.

"It's starting to work!" Iris exclaimed. "I think a Pokéball should be okay now!" Takeru called. Everyone watched as the Grass Snake Pokémon got up, Ash nodded as he twisted his cap.

"This is it! Go, Pokéball!" Ash called, throwing the ball once again. As the ball was thrown, Snivy smiled as she was sucked into the device. The Pokéball shook several times, as Ash bit his lips.

As seconds passed, the ball stopped, showing that Ash has finally caught Snivy! Ash grinned as he took the Pokéball, raising it up high in the air. "Alright! I caught a Snivy!" Ash called out.

**Winner: Ash**

Pikachu and Pidove cheered along, as Riolu clapped his hand, applauding for the Kanto trainer and Pidove. _"That was an awesome battle!"_ Riolu complimented. "What Riolu said! A great catch!" Takeru complimented with a chuckle.

Ash grinned as he summoned his newly Grass Type. "Snivy! Come on out!" Ash called. Snivy appeared, as the Kanto trainer smiled at it. "It's great to be together! From here on, let's win the Unova League!" Ash declared.

Snivy blinked, before smirking with a nod. Iris, Cilan, Takeru, and Riolu watched as Ash raised his fist in the air, as he called all of his five Pokémon, as they made a declaration together.

To be continued...

**Takeru's Team:**

**Riolu: (M): (Force Palm, Blaze Kick, ThunderPunch, Dig)**

**Joltik: (M): (Electro Ball, Signal Beam, String Shot, Electroweb)**

**Pidove: (M): (Air Cutter, Gust, Aerial Ace, Quick Attack)**

Next chapters:

**Chapter 15: The Food Thieves on Fire!**

**Chapter 16: The Darmanitan Task!**

**Chapter 17: Axew to Sneeze!**

**Chapter 18: The Scolipede Rampage!**

**Chapter 19: Trip VS Ash! The Second One!**

**Next chapter preview:**

Takeru: Our food for some reason was stolen... again! The culprit is somewhere... Wh-What the!?

Ash: It's the Darumakas! They're the crooks that's stealing our food and the Pokémon food!

Iris: Quick! Catch those pesky thieves... Argh! They got away!

Nurse Joy: Those Darumakas are always with the Darmanitan, but for some strange reason, those two started to steal people's food!

Takeru: They're here again! Pidove, I need your help!

Cilan: We'll have to know why the Darumakas are doing this!


	15. The Food Thieves on Fire!

**Chapter 15: The Food Thieves on Fire!**

It was a bright afternoon, as the four trainers were at a new town, where they planned to have a picnic, beginning to make a lunch break. Ash was complaining of how long it took.

"Iris! Cilan! Takeru! Is lunch ready yet? Man! Am I starving!" Ash grumbled. Both Takeru and Iris presented with the food that they made to the Kanto trainer, much to his amazement.

Takeru's dish had a big bowl of spicy soup with vegetables that looked delicious. Iris had multiple fruits stacked up with sticks. "Here you go!" Iris giggled. "The chef has spoken!" Takeru called.

Iris blinked, looking at the Nuvema boy. "It's not just you! It's me as well!" Iris complained. "Hey, you never even cooked the berries, so why should I bother?" Takeru asked, narrowing his eyes.

With another point taken, Iris grumbled to herself, pouting that she was outmatched by Takeru's speech. Takeru turned to Ash, who was amazed by the delicious food.

"Since there is a full moon tonight, I made some special soup I always used to eat, also adding with the moon watch dumplings!" Takeru explained. Iris turned around, trying to get in as well.

"Hey, I was part of it, too!" Iris complained. Unfortunately, Cilan seemed to have agreed that Iris had never cooked yet. "I wouldn't really call that cooking!" Cilan chuckled nervously.

Iris scoffed, turning away as she took a berry stick. "Whatever! If it's yummy, then it's good!" Iris stated, taking a bite of her own 'cooking'. "Hey! I want some, too!" Ash exclaimed.

He reached for a berry stick when it was out of his hand. "Not so fast! My vegetable paella made with fresh vegetables and olive oil will be ready in no time!" Cilan reminded, smirking.

Takeru sweat dropped, making a knowing look. "You know, you could've at least given him a chance to taste it..." Takeru muttered. He turned to Ash, presenting with the food he made.

"Try mine on for size then, as a taste test." Takeru replied. "Thanks, Takeru!" Ash thanked, as he grabbed a spoon, making a taste test out of it. As he finished the taste, his face darkened for a moment.

"Is something wrong?" Takeru asked. Pikachu and Riolu looked at the Kanto trainer in question, before Ash rose his head up with a bright face. "Oh man! It tastes so good!" Ash exclaimed.

Riolu grabbed his human brother's spoon, and carefully tried the soup, getting the same reaction as Ash._ "Delicious!"_ Riolu barked out happily. Takeru chuckled, rubbing the back of his head.

"Pikachu?" "Axew!" Pikachu and Axew called out, as Cilan chuckled. "Don't worry! I didn't forget about you three! Here's some Pokémon food! Using the natural flavors of Oran Berries!" Cilan chuckled.

Both the little Pokémon cried happily as Riolu seemed to be satisfied with the food as well. The Emanation Pokémon turned to his human brother as Takeru gave a wink and a nod.

Riolu nodded back happily as he began to eat his food. "Okay! The paella's ready!" Cilan called. "Awesome! Then, let's eat!" Ash called, feeling hungry after seeing the delicious that was made.

Iris noticed Riolu eating, which he already finished third-quarters of his food. "Hey, how come you're letting Riolu eat?" Iris asked, frowning.

"Simple! After all the training it had with Pidove for the Nacrene Gym, I thought it would be a good idea for Riolu to get a headstart on the food, since he skipped breakfast this morning to train!" Takeru explained.

Iris sweat dropped, seeing that it was an obvious answer. "Skipped breakfast, huh... Huh?" Iris started, then blinked in surprise. Ash and Takeru noticed as well, following it up with Cilan.

Everyone turned to see a new little Pokémon walking in front of them. It looked red, and looks like a Fire Type Pokémon. "Whoa! What's that!?" Iris asked, surprised.

**(Pokémon: BW Best Wishes Opening: Be An Arrow! (English Subbed))**

(Ash, Takeru, Cilan, and Iris are running with Pikachu, Riolu, Pansage, and Axew, with colorful arrows flying above them as they ran to a light!)

**_One swiftly running arrow!_**

(A blue pillar and orange pillar appears, showing Ash and Pikachu, with Takeru and Riolu)

_**One supple arrow!**_

(A purple pillar appears, showing Iris and Axew)

_**One thinking arrow!**_

(A yellow green pillar appears, showing Cilan)

_**That's us now!**_

(Ash, Takeru, Cilan, and Iris stand together as they move towards the air together)

**_Cross the green mountain, remove the white clouds_**

(The Japanese opening appears)

_**Let's colorfully push through the wilderness, become an arrow!**_

(A group of wild Pokémon from the five regions run or fly along)

_**Even if we suddenly turn around, twist, and shake**_

(Ash, Cilan, Takeru, and Iris are running alongside with the Water Type Pokémon on the sea)

(Meloetta suddenly appears, snatching Ash's hat from his head)

_**There's no way that we'll get separated!**_

(In Prof. Oak's laboratory, all of Ash's Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh were there; Charizard gives a thumbs up to the screen)

_**Sometimes I can no longer see the road, and don't know where to go**_

(Ash and Takeru were stopped by giant pillars, blocking their way)

_**But you will always be by my side!**_

(Pikachu and Riolu appears, with Pikachu using Thunderbolt, while Riolu uses Aura Sphere)

(Both trainers and Pokémon smile happily at each other)

_**Even the bright sun is hidden by the clouds sometimes**_

(Keldeo, Cobalion, Virizion, and Terrakion stands together on top of an ice)

(Kyurem appears, turning into either Black or White Kyurem)

_**But meetings will always bring light!**_

(Cynthia and Alder smile at the four trainers standing at the bottom)

(Hikaru and Dawn comes by, with Infernape using Flamethrower, as Piplup uses Hydro Pump)

(Jessie, James, and Meowth let out evil smirks)

_**One too hot arrow!**_

(Stephan and Sawk pose together, standing together)

_**Two competitive arrows!**_

(Trip and Servine appears together after the dust clears)

_**Three helpful arrows!**_

(Bianca comes by with Pignite, as the two fall together)

_**So the heart will never break!**_

(Trip, Dawn, Hikaru, Iris, Ash, Takeru, Cilan, Bianca, and Stephan stand together with their Pokémon partners)

_**Aim forward as an arrow!**_

(Everyone shoots in the air, towards the sky)

_**Shine greater than even now as an arrow!**_  
_**Thrust toward your dream!**_

(Everyone combines together, creating a huge arrow, shooting towards the building)

(Takeru, Ash, Cilan, and Iris all stand together with all of their current Pokémon)

(Ash: Pikachu, Oshawott, Snivy, Tepig, and Pidove)  
(Takeru: Riolu, Pidove, Tepig, and Joltik)  
(Iris: Axew and Excadrill)  
(Cilan: Pansage)

**(Opening ends)**

Ash took out his Pokédex, scanning the new red Pokémon. _"Darumaka, the Zen Charm Pokémon. When asleep, even when pushed or pulled, it cannot be knocked over."_ Ash's Pokédex buzzed.

"So, you're Darumaka!" Ash exclaimed. Darumaka sheepishly smiled while putting its paw on its head. Iris smiled as she walked over to the Zen Charm Pokémon with a giggle and a smile.

"Aw... You're so cute!" Iris giggled, stretching his ear, until Darumaka annoyingly shot a small Flamethrower at her. Iris blinked in surprise as her face was charred by the Flamethrower.

Iris coughed out smoke as Takeru chuckled. "Darumaka's one of the Pokémon that stays focused some times and is always in high spirits in battle!" Takeru stated as he took the empty bowl that Riolu finished his food on.

Riolu got onto his human brother's shoulder, curious of the new Pokémon. "Well, many people think of it as a good luck Pokémon!" Cilan explained. "Oh, really?" Ash asked, amazed.

Just then, Pikachu let out a surprised cry, causing the others to turn around. "What's up, Pikachu?" Ash asked. "Pika! Pikachu!" Pikachu explained, pointing to where his bowl was.

"Ah! Pikachu's food is gone!" Ash exclaimed in shock. The Electric Type grew suspicious, turning to Axew, pointing at him. "It was Axew?" Ash asked. "Ax!" Axew complained, shaking his head.

"Axew says that he didn't eat Pikachu's food! Maybe Pikachu ate it and forgot!" Iris guessed. The Nuvema boy sweat dropped at that. "It was only for seconds, so there's no way he couldn't have forgotten it." Takeru stated.

_"Is there a food thief besides us?"_ Riolu asked, as he looked around. Takeru bit his lips as he stayed sharp of who could've taken Pikachu's Pokémon food.

"Darumaka, did you see anything?" Ash asked. But, to everyone's surprise, the Zen Charm Pokémon looked as if it was fast asleep! "Uh oh! I think it looks asleep!" Ash stated.

"It sure looks that way." Iris agreed. "You don't suppose Darumaka is saving up some energy after blasting Iris with that Flamethrower attack?" Takeru asked. "What!?" Iris complained.

"A Pokémon with a mild personality, yet filled with element of surprises as well!" Cilan chuckled. "And no matter what you do, you can't knock it over while it's asleep, right?" Ash asked.

"Whoa. I wanna try!" Iris replied. She tried to tip the Fire Type, but it swayed a little, still fast asleep. "Wow! This is fun!" Iris giggled. Riolu then sensed another aura as he tapped on Takeru.

"Did you pick up on something?" Takeru asked. _"Yeah... There's someone else besides us!"_ Riolu answered. The two turned to see that Axew's bowl of food was gone now as well!

Both Axew noticed as well as he glared at Pikachu. "Axew ew!" Axew snapped, glaring at the Electric Type. Pikachu waved his paws as he tried to explain, only for Axew to ignore and try to attack Pikachu.

Pikachu yelped as he struggled against Axew pulling his cheeks. Takeru sweat dropped as he looked at Riolu. "Riolu, a small amount of Force Palm, please." Takeru muttered.

_"Okay."_ Riolu nodded as he blasted the two with Force Palm, but accidentally did it more on Axew. The two separated as the others turned. "What's going on?" Cilan asked.

Iris looked to see another missing bowl. "Huh? Now Axew's food is gone!" Iris gasped. "Axew Axew!" Axew snapped, pointing at the Electric Type. "You're saying that Pikachu did it?" Iris asked.

Pikachu denied it as he shook his head. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu called, pointing at the sleeping Fire Type. Everyone turned to see the still sleeping Darumaka. "You're saying that Darumaka did it?" Ash asked.

"Pika Pika!" Pikachu exclaimed. _"Pikachu says that there was another Darumaka who stole Axew's food!"_ Riolu explained. Takeru narrowed his eyes as he looked around. "A double?" Takeru guessed.

The others looked at him in confusion. "What do you mean, a double?" Cilan asked. "Darumaka, you've got to wake up! Come on!" Ash pleaded, trying to awaken the sleeping Fire Type.

Even as Ash tipped the Darumaka, the Zen Charm Pokémon stayed fast asleep, swaying over and over. "Sleeping like a log!..." Ash groaned, sweat dropping. Just then, Riolu's ears rose as the Emanation Pokémon turned.

_"There IS another Darumaka!"_ Riolu yelped. Everyone turned to see a second Darumaka. It had the two bowls of Pokémon food, and the berry sticks that Iris had made. "Another Darumaka!" Ash gasped.

"There are two Darumakas!" Cilan stated, as the four trainers and their three Pokémon ran after the thief. But then, suddenly, the Nuvema boy felt another presence as he turned to see the first Darumaka.

It looked as if it was about to attack. "Incoming!" Takeru yelled. Everyone turned in surprise, as the first Darumaka shot a Flamethrower, blocking their way from chasing the second.

As the first landed, the two Fire Types ran off, with the food in their hands. Both Ash and Takeru weren't about to let them get away, though. "Oshawott! I choose you!" Ash called.

"Pidove, I need your help!" Takeru shouted. Both Pidove and Oshawott were summoned as they were ready to help. "Good choice! A Water Type is best going against a Fire Type!" Cilan complimented.

"And a Flying Type can blow away the fire, putting it out!" Iris added with a smile. The two boys nodded as they call out their attacks. "Oshawott! Use Water Gun!" Ash called.

"Pidove, use Gust!" Takeru called. Gust and Water Gun was shot, but the two Fire Types dodged the attacks easily! "What!? No way!" "They saw it coming!" Ash and Takeru gasped.

The Fire duo shot Flamethrower, as the two were combining their power. The double Flamethrower managed to hit Oshawott, but it missed Pidove as he got out of the way quickly.

"No, Oshawott!" Ash gasped. "Don't let them get away, Pidove! Use Air Cutter!" Takeru yelled. Pidove unleashed several Air Cutter attacks, with the attacks missing. The Fire Types then got away.

The Nuvema boy gritted his teeth as he took out Pidove's Pokéball. "Thanks for trying, Pidove. Take a nice break." Takeru called, returning the disappointed Flying Type back to the ball.

"Oshawott, are you okay?" Ash asked. Oshawott only groaned, looking as if it took a direct attack from the double Flamethrower. "Oshawott's knocked out!" Iris replied sadly.

"Two Flamethrowers can cause a lot of damage!" Cilan stated. Ash bit his lips as he carried the Water Type, standing up. "We need to get to a Pokémon Center!" Ash replied. Cilan looked at the town up ahead.

"There should be one right up ahead!" Cilan stated. "Right!" Ash agreed.

Later, the four trainers headed to the Center, for Ash's Oshawott to recover from the damage it took. "Nurse Joy! Will my Oshawott be okay?" Ash asked, feeling worried about his Water Type.

"Don't worry! Oshawott will be fine!" Nurse Joy assured. "Thanks, Nurse Joy." Ash thanked. "Audino? If you please?" Nurse Joy asked. Audino smiled as she took the Sea Otter Pokémon to the emergency room.

Ash frowned, knowing that Oshawott took heavy hits from the Flamethrower it took. The Nuvema boy noticed his worry, as he put a hand on his shoulder. "He'll be fine. That's what she says, right?" Takeru reminded.

Ash smiled sadly and nodded. "You're right... Thanks, Takeru." Ash replied with a nod.

**Later, that evening...**

Oshawott was brought out of the emergency room as Nurse Joy gave the results. "Your Oshawott is completely healed and is feeling fine now!" Nurse Joy assured with a smile.

"Thanks so much, Nurse Joy!" Ash thanked. "Osha! Oshawott!" Oshawott called out happily. "Glad you're feeling better, Oshawott!" Ash smirked. "Osha!" Oshawott replied with a smile.

Iris then frowned as Oshawott was returned to its Pokéball. "Still! Those Darumaka are so annoying!" Iris snapped angrily. "Annoying is right..." Takeru agreed as Riolu sighed.

Nurse Joy seemed surprised of this news. "What? You met those two?" Nurse Joy asked. "Yeah. You know them, Nurse Joy?" Iris asked. The nurse sadly smiled and nodded.

"Yes... Those two Darumaka live here around town, along with Darmanitan!" Nurse Joy answered, with Takeru blinking in surprise. "Darmanitan? You mean the evolved form of Darumaka?" Takeru asked.

The nurse smiled and replied a yes, as the Nuvema boy took out his Pokédex, searching for Darmanitan. _"Darmanitan, the Blazing Pokémon, and the evolved form of Darumaka. Darmanitan switches from Standard Mode to Zen Mode when it has little energy left."_ Takeru's Pokédex buzzed.

Nurse Joy looked outside the window, recalling of what Darmanitan and the two Darumakas did in the past, and on what they did after their good deeds to the people of the town.

"At first, they couldn't have been friendlier to the town people... Until one day, the Darumaka started mysteriously stealing people's food!..." Nurse Joy explained.

"The two Darumaka are always with the Darmanitan... But, for some reason, only the two Darumakas were the one stealing people's food!" Nurse Joy explained, knowing that Darmanitan was missing.

"And those two stole our food, too!" Cilan explained. Takeru nodded with a knowing look. "Ash's Oshawott attempted to stop those two, only to be defeated by their Flamethrower." Takeru explained.

The nurse blinked in surprise. "So, that's what happened..." Nurse Joy replied, smiling sadly for the four trainers. Iris then made a questioning look as she took a guess for their food thievery.

"I'll bet you... those two Darumaka must've been really hungry!" Iris guessed. The nurse made a correction to the guess.

"Maybe... But, they didn't use to steal people's food like that!" Nurse Joy replied, feeling confused for the two Fire Type's reason. "Something must be up..." Ash stated, also confused.

"I'm guessing none of the people know where Darmanitan disappeared off to, Nurse Joy?" Takeru asked. Nurse Joy shook his head with a sigh. "No... I'm afraid none of the town's people know where Darmanitan is." Nurse Joy answered.

Just then, Iris looked to see a clock tower up ahead. "Oh! What's that over there?" Iris asked. Everyone turned as the nurse smiled.

"Oh! You must be asking about the clock tower! It's one of the oldest buildings in town. So old, in fact, the clock bell no longer works... I'm afraid it's going to be torn down soon." Nurse Joy explained.

"Oh... That's such a shame!" Iris replied, feeling sorry about it. "Yes..." Nurse Joy agreed sadly. Just as the situation was about to change, Ash's stomach growled loudly as he sweat dropped.

"S-Sorry... I'm really hungry, I guess..." Ash chuckled nervously. Nurse Joy giggled as both Iris and Takeru chuckled at that. "Because of what the Darumaka did, we never had lunch yet!" Cilan chuckled.

"In that case, why don't we settle here for the night and have our food here?" Takeru suggested. "I'm with you on that, Takeru!" "Pika!" Ash and Pikachu agreed as the Nuvema boy looked at Riolu.

"You still hungry, Riolu?" Takeru asked, scratching his Emanation Pokémon's ear. _"I guess so... That Pokémon food tasted great... But, it's not enough."_ Riolu replied nervously as he blushed.

Takeru chuckled with that and sighed, knowing that this was going to be some night.

**That night...**

At the Pokémon Center, all the trainers gathered here were having their dinner. The four trainers, with their three Pokémon seemed to be enjoying the food as well. Ash and Iris seemed to be eating the most.

"Awesome!... So good!..." Ash grunted, while eating up the croquettes. "These croquettes... are the best ever!" Iris grunted, while eating as well. Both Cilan and Takeru sweat dropped at their appetite.

"What is this, a croquette eating competition? Ugh..." Takeru groaned, as he took a croquette of his own. Cilan laughed nervously at the two's quick eating.

"Ha ha... You know what? You two are actually quite alike!" Cilan chuckled. Immediately, both Ash and Iris stopped, glaring at the Connoisseur. "WAIT! YOU THINK I ACT LIKE HIM/HER!?" The two yelled.

Cilan twitched nervously as he chuckled nervously at that. At that moment, Nurse Joy came by with the annoucements. "Excuse me! Tonight's a full moon! So, we have Moon Watch Dumplings for dessert!" Nurse Joy explained.

Everyone was excited as Takeru got up. "I'll hand them out!" "Me, too!" Takeru and Ash called out. So, with their exclamation, the four trainers and Nurse Joy headed to where the dumplings were.

As they went inside, they all got a fiery surprise. It was the two Darumakas! They seemed to be stealing the Moon Watch dumplings! "The two Darumaka!" Ash gasped in shock.

"No! Not you two again!" Iris complained. "Hey! Come back here!" Ash demanded. The two Fire Types managed to escape as both Ash and Takeru looked out.

"So, they want to play a game of chase, huh? Well, I'll give them a chase! Pidove, I need your help!" Takeru called. The male Tiny Pigeon Pokémon appeared, looking at his trainer.

"Those two Fire Types are back! So, try to follow them to see where they're going, Pidove!" Takeru called. Pidove nodded and flew after the two Fire Types. With that done, Ash leapt out of the window.

The Nuvema boy followed, as both Iris and Cilan were surprised. "Ash! Takeru! What are you two doing!?" Iris asked. "Isn't it obvious? We're going to find out why they're stealing food!" Takeru answered.

They then ran after them, along with Pidove. Iris and Cilan both nodded to each other, before following the two boys to join in with the chase. The chase continued as the group ran after the two Fire Types.

"Come back, you two!" Ash demanded. But then, the two Darumakas split into two paths of the town. "They've split up!" Iris stated. With that, the four trainers made up their mind.

"I'll go this way!" "Me, too!" Ash and Iris called out. "I'll go this way!" "Same here!" Cilan and Takeru called. This time, the chase became a double chase.

Later, both the Connoisseur and the Nuvema boy looked around, as the two panted. "They got away!" Cilan panted. "Drat..." Takeru grunted, hitting a lamp post with his fist lightly.

_"They stole our food again... Morons..."_ Riolu sighed sadly, feeling annoyed at the moment.

Later, the four trainers reunited with each other, each getting a status of what happened to their side. "Cilan! Takeru! Any luck?" Ash asked. "Sorry... We lost track of them." Cilan apologized.

"For little crooks, they were pretty fast." Takeru replied as he wiped his sweat. "How are we going to find them, big bro?" Riolu asked, curious. "Pidove should know where they're going by now." Takeru answered.

"Yeah... But, where could they have gone?" Ash asked. The four trainers looked closely around, only to be interrupted by Takeru's Pidove. He chirped, gesturing to where the Darumakas went.

The four trainers looked, to see that the two thieves were going inside the old clock tower. "There they are!" Ash called, as the group ran after the two Fire Types.

And so, the town has many food problems, because of the two Darumakas stealing them! How will the group solve this mystery of their reason of stealing food? Stay tuned for some more!

To be continued...

**Takeru's Team:**

**Riolu: (M): (Force Palm, Blaze Kick, ThunderPunch, Dig)**

**Joltik: (M): (Electro Ball, Electroweb, String Shot, Signal Beam)**

**Pidove: (M): (Air Cutter, Gust, Quick Attack, Aerial Ace)**

Next chapters:

**Chapter 16: The Darmanitan Task!**

**Chapter 17: Axew to Sneeze!**

**Chapter 18: The Scolipede Rampage!**

**Chapter 19: Ash VS Trip! The Second One!**

**Chapter 20: Takeru VS Trip! Rival Friends!**

**Next chapter preview:**

Ash: Whoa! Is that Darmanitan? He looks like... he's in Zen Mode!

Cilan: I would think that Darmanitan wants to save the old clock tower from collapsing!

Takeru: I guess that explains why the bell never worked for a while, since it was being held by him.

Ash: We've got to help him! Darmanitan won't be able to last much longer with all of that!

Iris: But... How are we going to attach the handle to the bell? It's heavy for one of us to hold!

Takeru: We might as well have to try. Otherwise, the tower will collapse with us in it!


	16. The Darmanitan Task!

**Chapter 16: The Darmanitan Task!**

Last time on "Pokémon Unova Journey", the group was having a lunch break near a town, until it was turned out to be stolen by two Darumakas, who played a few tricks on them before getting away.

On this event, Oshawott took a major damage from the double Flamethrower the Darumaka sent. As the group headed to the Pokémon Center for recovery, Nurse Joy explained about the two.

The two Darumakas used to be with Darmanitan, but for some reason, Darmanitan went missing, and the two little Fire Types were stealing other people's food!

Once the explanation was done, everyone at the Pokémon Center were about to have dinner and with the Moon Watch Dumplings as desserts, only for the dessert to be stolen by the two Fire Types!

The chase was on, as Ash, Takeru, Iris, and Cilan ran after them, only to lose them, and to be found by Takeru's Pidove, heading into the clock tower for some strange reason as the chase continued.

"There they are!" Ash called. With that said, the four trainers ran to the clock tower building, with their three Pokémon with them. They weren't going to let the thieves get away.

The group headed inside the clock tower, where they saw in the window, the two Darumakas looked to be hopping up to the steps. Takeur narrowed his eyes, wondering what they were going to do there.

Ash, for the time, was determined to catch the food thieves, and to solve the mystery for their case of thieving. As they were inside, Riolu's ears perked up. _"We're catching up!"_ Riolu barked.

Takeru nodded, looking at the others. "They should be close up ahead! Let's go!" Takeru said, running up the steps. "Right!" The others agreed, as they all followed the Nuvema boy.

Once they got close enough, the Kanto trainer yelled after them. "Come back! Hold it right there! Stop!" Ash demanded. The two Fire Types turned, shocked to see that the group followed.

They panicked as they hopped on the steps, going all the way up. Ash, Cilan, Takeru, and Iris ran after the two as Ash went a bit farther ahead. "You're not getting away!" Ash snapped.

Once the group got to the higher level of the clock tower, they all looked around. "I wonder if they kept going up..." Ash wondered, until Takeru looked back, as he widened his eyes.

"LOOK OUT!" Takeru bellowed, pushing Ash away from the ambush attack. The two Darumakas shot their Flamethrower attack, as they missed. Both boys got up, glaring at the Fire Types.

"Enough of this, you two! Why are you doing this!?" Takeru demanded. Cilan ran up and blinked in shock. "Ash! Takeru! Behind you!" Cilan yelled. Both boys turned as Ash took out a Pokéball.

"Oshawott! Put out the fire with Water Gun!" Ash called. The Sea Otter Pokémon appeared, spraying the burning ladder with the Water Type move. The fire was out, but the ladder was useless.

"It's no good! The ladder is all burnt out!" Takeru grunted, gritting his teeth. Riolu growled lowly at them, facing them. The two Fire Types shot another Flamethrower attack at the group!

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt, now!" Ash called. Pikachu shot the Electric Type move, as Takeru called out his attack. "Now, Riolu! Use Force Palm, full power!" Takeru shouted.

The Fighting Type focused his power, slamming his palm on the two, much to their shock. The energy exploded, damaging the two Zen Charm Pokémon as they fell to the ground.

Cilan and Iris ran up to the two boys, as the two Darumakas fell to the ground, in their sleeping state. "Ash, Takeru! Are you two alright?" Iris asked. The Nuvema boy got up, dusting his jacket.

"We're fine. But the problem is, with those two..." Takeru answered. The four trainers and their three Pokémon looked at them resting a bit. "They're asleep again!" Iris pointed out.

"That must be how they both recover their strength!" Cilan guessed. "Don't let your guard down a single bit. They could make an ambush at any minute." Takeru warned.

_"Should I get ready with Force Palm again?"_ Riolu asked. The Nuvema boy nodded as his Emanation Pokémon got ready to strike with his Fighting Type move. The four walked up to them.

That was when until the two made their signal, ambushing the group. They got behind them and got ready to attack, only for Ash to stop the fighting. "Stop! Darumaka!" Ash yelled.

The two Fire Types lowered their guard slowly as both Ash and Iris explained their situation. "Stop. We don't want to fight you!" Ash assured. "Yeah! We're friends!" Iris promised.

That caused the two Zen Charm Pokémon to be puzzled as they looked at each other. "We're just wondering on why you want to steal all that food!" Cilan explained, giving a sheepish smile.

The two Darumakas then pointed up to the higher floor, where the burnt ladder was. Takeru and Riolu walked up, seeing the hole above. "Are you saying you want to go up there?" Takeru asked.

The two Fire Types nodded in their answer. The Nuvema boy and the Kanto trainer both smiled as they placed their hand on the two Fire Types' head. "Okay! No prob! We'll help you get up there, quick!" Ash promised.

With the promise, the Darumakas smiled happily as they went with the plan. Later, Cilan was helping Takeru get up to the next floor. It took for a while, until the Nuvema boy made it up.

"Made it! Thanks for the lift, Cilan!" Takeru thanked. "Sure thing, Takeru!" Cilan chuckled. The Nuvema boy looked at the Emanation Pokémon with a smile.

"Okay, Riolu! Jump up and I'll catch you!" Takeru assured. _"Okay, brother!"_ Riolu nodded with a chirp. The two Darumakas blinked in confusion on how a human could be a brother to Riolu.

Riolu got ready as he jumped up, with Takeru grabbing his paws as he helped him up. "You okay, little bro?" Takeru asked. _"Yep!"_ Riolu exclaimed with a grin.

Takeru then looked down to where the others are. "Ash! Throw me Snivy's Pokéball, and I'll tell her to get you guys up here!" Takeru called. "Sure thing!... Here!" Ash called, throwing the ball.

The Nuvema boy caught the ball as he summoned the Grass Type. "Snivy! I need your help!" Takeru called. Snivy appeared, blinking to see that the Nuvema boy summoned her instead of Ash.

"Ash and the others are down there. Could you get them up here?" Takeru asked. Snivy nodded with a smile as she used Vine Whip, to first reach Pikachu, who happily got to the next floor.

Takeru and Snivy looked down at the Fire Types. "Alright... Darumakas! You two are next! Hang tight!" Takeru called. The duo nodded as Snivy got them up with her Vine Whip.

Later, Takeru got everyone else up onto the next floor. Once that process was done, Iris wiped the sweat from her forehead. "Hey... You feel heat from the ceiling?" Iris asked.

Cilan looked up, also feeling it, too. "Hm... I wonder what's up there..." Cilan wondered. Riolu glowed, using Aura as he gasped in startle. "Something wrong, Riolu?" Takeru asked.

_"There's a big aura above us... It has a lot of power!"_ Riolu replied, surprised by the power. The others seemed to get the idea as they all got up, seeing of what's up on the top of the floor.

As the four trainers got up, they all gasped in surprise. There was a Pokémon who seemed to be glowing with red aura in heat. "Who's that Pokémon?" Ash asked.

The Nuvema boy blinked in surprise. "This must be Darmanitan in Zen Mode!" Takeru answered, concerned about the Fire Type. "So, this must be the Darmanitan that hangs with the Darumaka!" Ash pointed out.

The Connoisseur made some thoughts to himself. "Let me see... In Standard Mode, its physical powers are enhanced. While its Psychic powers enhanced, it's in Zen Mode!" Cilan explained.

Iris walked up, wiping more sweat from her forehead. "Wow... What a strange Pokémon... Whew... I'm burning up. Darmanitan must be giving off that heat!" Iris sighed, feeling hot at the moment.

"Yeah... I was thinking of the same thing!" Cilan agreed. Just then, the Moon Watch dumplings floated, going inside Darmanitan as he ate it up. "It's Psychic!" Ash pointed out.

That was when Ash got the reason. "Of course! The Darumaka must've been stealing food so they could feed Darmanitan!" Ash exclaimed. Takeru made his thought and words.

"Because of Darmanitan putting his powers by using Psychic, his heat from his sac must be pouring out!" Takeru guessed. _"Does that mean Darmanitan's losing power by using Psychic?"_ Riolu asked, curious.

Takeru nodded in agreement. "Looks to me that way." The Nuvema boy answered. Iris grew confused at the time. "I don't get it! Isn't it true that Damanitan switches from Zen Mode to Standard Mode as soon as it recovers?" Iris asked.

"Right... You think it could've recovered with all that eating!" Cilan agreed. "So, why hasn't it recovered?" Ash asked. Just then, the two Fire Types ran up to Ash, giving him some kind of hook.

"What's this?..." Ash asked. Cilan, Takeru, and Iris took a closer look at it. "It looks like some kind of hook!" Cilan guessed. With that said, the two Darumakas pointed up.

Everyone looked at the bell with a strange look as Takeru narrowed his eyes. "Is it just me, or does the bell looks like it's being held by Darmanitan's Psychic?" Takeru asked.

Cilan gasped as he took a closer look. "You're right! The bell is... is floating!" Cilan agreed. Ash and Iris both gasped at that, as the Connoisseur walked up, thinking alongside with Takeru.

"I think Darmanitan's keeping it suspended with Psychic!" Cilan guessed. "But, why would it do that?" Iris asked. The two thinkers made their thought, wondering of what could've happened.

"Hm... Let's see... If that heavy bell were to fall, then it would possibly crash through the floor, and possibly collapse with the tower within it! To keep it from happening, Darmanitan must've caught that bell when it started falling!" Cilan guessed.

"After holding the bell too long, it must've turned into Zen Mode to recharge his Standard Mode powers, while holding the bell up with Psychic, to prevent the bell from falling down..." Takeru added.

"And... to keep Darmanitan's strength up, these two Darumakas were bringing it as much food as they could!" Cilan replied. Ash smiled, placing his hands on the two Fire Types.

"Is that right?" Ash asked. The two nodded as Iris smiled along. "You did great! Not easy, in this situation!" Iris giggled. The two Zen Charm Pokémon nodded happily with their smiles.

Suddenly, Darmanitan started to get even hotter in his Zen Mode form! "What the... Darmanitan!?" Takeru yelped in surprise. "Big bro, the Darmanitan is getting even hotter!" Riolu whimpered.

Takeru gritted his teeth, as Cilan stepped back. "At this rate, Darmanitan's heat will burn through the floor!" Cilan exclaimed. Ash made a determined face as he got up, walking with the hook.

"Don't worry! We'll deal with it!" Ash smirked. Takeru, Cilan, and Iris smiled along as the Kanto trainer made his plan. "First, we'll fix the hook, then we'll free Darmanitan!" Ash decided.

"Right!" The three agreed. "Tepig, I choose you!" "Pansage, we need your help as well!" Ash and Cilan called, calling forth their Fire Type and the Grass Type. Tepig and Pansage appeared, ready to help.

"Tepig! Use Ember on that hook!" Ash called. "Riolu! Use Blaze Kick to boost Ember!" Takeru shouted. As Tepig shot out Ember, Blaze Kick was also added, as the hook was hit.

But, it wasn't enough as it fell to the floor. "No good! It's not hot enough!" Ash grunted. Suddenly, Darmanitan's Zen Mode started to get even hotter than before!

The others gasped of seeing this blazing heat. "Ash! Takeru! We all really need to hurry!" Cilan called to the two boys. Just then, the two Zen Charm Pokémon ran in front of them.

"No way... Are you two willing to help us?" Takeru asked. The two Fire Types nodded as they got ready for the signal. "Yes! Let's do it then!" Ash called. The Nuvema boy looked at Riolu.

"Alright, Riolu! One more throw!" Takeru called. _"Here... it... comes!"_ Riolu grunted, throwing the hook near the hook holder. "Tepig, use Ember!" "Riolu! Aid Ember with another Blaze Kick!" The two boys yelled.

As the Fire Pig Pokémon shot Ember, the Blaze Kick added some more power to it. Once the Ember and Blaze Kick was done, the two Darumakas shot their double Flamethrower attack.

When the flames were gone, the hook looked hot as it was glowing with heat. "Yes! It worked!" Ash cried out with a smile. "Pansage! Use Bullet Seed on that hook!" Cilan called.

Pansage shot the Grass Type attack, shaping the bent hook into an S shape, like it was before. The hook landed on the ground, as Cilan smiled at the completed shape work.

"Great! Just where we wanted it! Excellent presentation!" Cilan smirked. Ash summoned Oshawott out for the cooling. "Oshawott! Use Water Gun!" Ash called.

The water splashed onto the burnt hook, as it cooled down, landing on the ground. Both Pikachu and Riolu picked it up, presenting it to Ash. "Okay then. We just need to hook it with the bell!" Takeru called.

That statement left Iris stumped. "Yeah... But how?" Iris asked. That was when Darmanitan stepped in, using Psychic again. Ash, Takeru, Riolu, and Pikachu all yelped in surprise as they were floating in the air.

"Whoa... Whoooa!" Ash yelped in shock. "Darmanitan's aiding us with Psychic!" Takeru grunted as he took the bell from Riolu's paws. The Nuvema boy attached it to the holder, ready.

Now Ash tried to get to the bell as he pulled on it. "Urgh... Just a little more!" Ash grunted as he managed to move it a little, with the Psychic's help. Pikachu, Riolu, and Takeru helped out as well.

"Come on! Keep pulling!" Takeru grunted. "Ash! Takeru! You can do it, you two!" "Just a little bit more!" Iris and Cilan called out, cheering for the two. The two boys and their partners grunted as they pulled harder.

"Keep... it up!" Takeru grunted as he pulled even harder. Suddenly, Psychic wore off, as the four began falling! "What the-" "Wah!" Takeru and Ash yelped. The bell began to fall as the others gasped.

"Ash!" "Takeru!" Iris and Cilan gasped. Just then, a strong pair of hands caught the bell as Darmanitan changed from Zen Mode to Standard Mode! Everyone blinked in surprise at the sudden form change.

"Now it changed to Standard Mode!" Ash gasped. "Darmanitan must've finally recovered!" Takeru guessed. The evovled Fire Type threw the bell in the air, and grabbed it from the top.

The two boys, Riolu, and Pikachu were amazed as they all let go of the bell. "Thank you! Hey, that was a close call! We're not strong enough... So, could you put the bell back on the hook?" Ash asked.

Darmanitan grunted with a wink as he hung the bell. It then landed down, greeted by his two little pre-evolved friends. Then, the three walked up to the group, sounding like they're thanking the group.

"Wonder what they're saying?" Cilan asked, hoping to know. "I bet they're thanking us!" Iris giggled. Both Takeru and Riolu sweat dropped at that. "Doesn't that sound a bit obvious?" Takeru asked.

_"Weirdos..."_ Riolu grunted sarcastically. Everyone laughed as Ash knelt down to the two. "Now, as for you two, no more stealing food, alright?" Ash asked.

The three Fire trios nodded with a sheepish look in their faces as everyone laughed along, happy for their accomplishment, as the night turned out well, with the real truth learned.

**The next morning...**

"Another day to give it all we've got!" Ash grunted, stretching his arms up high. "Wait!" Nurse Joy called. Everyone turned to see the nurse running to them. "Nurse Joy?" Takeru asked.

Riolu got onto his shoulder with a wondering look. "The clock tower won't be torn down! I thought I'd let the four of you know!" Nurse Joy explained. "So, what's going to happen?" Ash asked.

"It'll be completely restored and maintained! All thanks... to the town!" Nurse Joy explained. That got the four trainers going high in spirits. "That's awesome!" Iris exclaimed.

Nurse Joy nodded with a smile. "Yes. And thanks to Darmanitan and the two Darumakas protecting it, the town also decreed that they'll be able to live here as long as they like!" Nurse Joy explained.

Cilan let out a dreamy smile, making his words. "Delicious! People and Pokémon will be happy together, gesturing like that!" Cilan chuckled. Just then, Ash blinked as he pointed at the tower.

"Hey, look!" Ash called. Everyone turned to see Darmanitan, and the two Darumakas waving goodbye to them at the top of the clock tower. Both Ash and Takeru ran up to them with grins on their faces.

Even Pikachu and Riolu had the same grins as their trainers. "Hello!? Darmanitan and Darumaka! That's great news!" "Pika Pika!" Ash and Pikachu called out.

"Best wishes to the three of you!" _"I hope we'll see each other again!"_ Takeru and Riolu called out along. "Now, you three take care!" Iris called. "Ax Axew!" Axew cried out.

"Until we meet again!" Cilan called. The three Fire Types waved at the group, agreeing that they'll meet again someday. Unknown to the group, Darmanitan glanced at Takeru, feeling a bit interested with the Nuvema boy.

And so, with the mystery solved, and with Darmanitan free, the four trainers are back in the route, off to Nacrene City, for Ash and Takeru's second Gym battle! How will things go along the way?

Stay tuned for some more actions!

To be continued...

**Takeru's Team:**

**Riolu: (M): (Force Palm, Blaze Kick, ThunderPunch, Dig)**

**Joltik: (M): (Electro Ball, Signal Beam, String Shot, Electroweb)**

**Pidove: (M): (Air Cutter, Gust, Aerial Ace, Quick Attack)**

Next chapters:

**Chapter 17: Axew to Sneeze!**

**Chapter 18: The Scolipede Rampage!**

**Chapter 19: Trip VS Ash! The Second One!**

**Chapter 20: Takeru VS Trip! Rival Friends!**

**Chapter 21: The Rock Shell to Settle!**

**Next chapter preview:**

Iris: No... Not again! Dragon Rage is out of control again!

Cilan: Actually... I might prefer it to be Dragon Sneeze, since it's more like Axew is sneezing to me!

Ash: Good one, Cilan! Dragon Sneeze it is, then!

Iris: Will you cut it out! Axew is training ever since I got him! GOT IT!?

Takeru: Just settle down. I'm sure that Axew will master Dragon Rage someday...

Iris: I guess so... That's what the Elder from my village thinks of...


	17. Axew to Sneeze!

**Chapter 17: Axew to Sneeze!**

It was a peaceful day in the afternoon. At the current moment, the four trainers decided to make a change in the pace. There were to be a battle going on. It was Iris against Takeru.

Cilan watched with Pansage, both amused on how the results would come. Ash, in the time was annoyed that he wasn't the one getting to battle, as he sat on a rock, impatiently with Pikachu.

"Come on, you two! Can't me and Pikachu get in on this, too?" Ash asked, sighing. "Pika?" Pikachu asked along. Right at the moment, Iris glared at the two, scoffing as she turned away.

"No way! All you would try to do, is win, of course!" Iris scolded. "But, isn't that the point?" Ash asked. Iris sighed, annoyed at the Kanto trainer's questions and determination.

"Oh, Ash... You're such a little kid! I really don't want you to use Volt Tackle, just so that you can win!" Iris explained. Both Takeru and Riolu sweat dropped at that.

"Speaking of kids, you're acting like one yourself. You say those words, yet you act like one, when it comes to eating food, and when you're excited about something. So, you shouldn't be saying things like that." Takeru muttered.

Iris sweat dropped, also getting a lecture from the Nuvema boy. _"Both you and Axew act like kids!"_ Riolu teased, turning his head away. Axew frowned, as he pouted with the teasing.

"Okay then! No Volt Tackle then!" Ash suggested. Iris glared at the Kanto trainer, again denying the offer. "NO! Just be quiet and watch!" Iris demanded. Cilan chuckled nervously at that.

"My my... The sparks are flying all over the place..." Cilan chuckled nervously. "Pan..." Pansage agreed, shrugging. "Okay then..." "Pikachu..." Ash and Pikachu sighed with nervous looks.

"Axew!" Axew cried out, ready for his first battle. "You're ready to go, aren't you, Axew?" Iris asked. Axew roared, as Iris grinned. "Okay then! We're ready to go, Takeru!" Iris called.

The Nuvema boy tightened his fingerless gloves as he and Riolu got ready. "Okay then, Iris! Let's see what you and Axew have got together!" Takeru called. _"Bring it on!"_ Riolu barked.

He motioned the Dragon Type to come. "What does he mean 'have got together?'" Ash asked, confused. "I suspect a little taste of mild flavor in Takeru's mind in this battle." Cilan guessed.

"Sage..." Pansage replied with a nod, watching. "Watch and learn! Alright, Axew! Use Scratch!" Iris called. "Axew Ax!" Axew called, getting ready for the attack.

**(Pokémon: BW Best Wishes Opening: Be An Arrow! (English Subbed))**

(Ash, Takeru, Cilan, and Iris are running with Pikachu, Riolu, Pansage, and Axew, with colorful arrows flying above them as they ran to a light!)

**_One swiftly running arrow!_**

(A blue pillar and orange pillar appears, showing Ash and Pikachu, with Takeru and Riolu)

_**One supple arrow!**_

(A purple pillar appears, showing Iris and Axew)

_**One thinking arrow!**_

(A yellow green pillar appears, showing Cilan)

_**That's us now!**_

(Ash, Takeru, Cilan, and Iris stand together as they move towards the air together)

**_Cross the green mountain, remove the white clouds_**

(The Japanese opening appears)

_**Let's colorfully push through the wilderness, become an arrow!**_

(A group of wild Pokémon from the five regions run or fly along)

_**Even if we suddenly turn around, twist, and shake**_

(Ash, Cilan, Takeru, and Iris are running alongside with the Water Type Pokémon on the sea)

(Meloetta suddenly appears, snatching Ash's hat from his head)

_**There's no way that we'll get separated!**_

(In Prof. Oak's laboratory, all of Ash's Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh were there; Charizard gives a thumbs up to the screen)

_**Sometimes I can no longer see the road, and don't know where to go**_

(Ash and Takeru were stopped by giant pillars, blocking their way)

_**But you will always be by my side!**_

(Pikachu and Riolu appears, with Pikachu using Thunderbolt, while Riolu uses Aura Sphere)

(Both trainers and Pokémon smile happily at each other)

_**Even the bright sun is hidden by the clouds sometimes**_

(Keldeo, Cobalion, Virizion, and Terrakion stands together on top of an ice)

(Kyurem appears, turning into either Black or White Kyurem)

_**But meetings will always bring light!**_

(Cynthia and Alder smile at the four trainers standing at the bottom)

(Hikaru and Dawn comes by, with Infernape using Flamethrower, as Piplup uses Hydro Pump)

(Jessie, James, and Meowth let out evil smirks)

_**One too hot arrow!**_

(Stephan and Sawk pose together, standing together)

_**Two competitive arrows!**_

(Trip and Servine appears together after the dust clears)

_**Three helpful arrows!**_

(Bianca comes by with Pignite, as the two fall together)

_**So the heart will never break!**_

(Trip, Dawn, Hikaru, Iris, Ash, Takeru, Cilan, Bianca, and Stephan stand together with their Pokémon partners)

_**Aim forward as an arrow!**_

(Everyone shoots in the air, towards the sky)

_**Shine greater than even now as an arrow!**_  
_**Thrust toward your dream!**_

(Everyone combines together, creating a huge arrow, shooting towards the building)

(Takeru, Ash, Cilan, and Iris all stand together with all of their current Pokémon)

(Ash: Pikachu, Oshawott, Snivy, Tepig, and Pidove)  
(Takeru: Riolu, Pidove, Tepig, and Joltik)  
(Iris: Axew and Excadrill)  
(Cilan: Pansage)

**(Opening ends)**

**Takeru: Riolu VS Iris: Axew**

"Alright, Axew! Use Scratch!" Iris called. Axew got ready with his tiny claws, aiming to strike Riolu with it. The Nuvema boy only yawned as he called out his counter move.

"Use ThunderPunch, Riolu! But, lightly." Takeru called. _"Sure."_ Riolu replied. He yawned as well, also bored that he was having a kiddie battle instead of an intense and tough battle.

Riolu walked over to Axew, who ran with Scratch. The Emanation Pokémon blocked Scratch as he gently used his left fist with small electricity, which shoved Axew lightly.

Axew yelped in pain as he took a few steps back. At that moment, Ash and Pikachu were both bewildered as Cilan and Pansage soon understood the smooth flavor that Takeru was doing.

Riolu did it several times, with a little static shove, causing Axew to wail in pain. "Oh no! Axew!" Iris shrieked. Both Ash and Pikachu sweat dropped at the gentle battle going on.

"Whoa... What was that?" Ash asked, not impressed. "Pika..." Pikachu agreed. Iris ran over to the Dragon Type, concerned about him. "Oh no, are you okay, Axew?" Iris asked.

Axew uncovered his face, revealing that his eyes had tears in it. Both the Nuvema duo sweat dropped as they cocked their head. "Did we overdid it?" Takeru asked. _"Did that actually hurt?"_ Riolu asked along.

"Remember to do your best, since this is a training battle!" Iris reminded. Ash blinked in surprise as he turned to Cilan. "Cilan, is this really a training battle?" Ash asked, confused.

"Right! I guess this is what Iris asked for Takeru, since he could be the most dependent one out of all of us! This battle must be to give Axew some experience for his future battles!" Cilan chuckled.

The Nuvema boy continued the explanation. "Right. Riolu and I both promised that we use our moves gently, just like you saw ThunderPunch, only that it was at its minimum power." Takeru explained.

"And you call that a battle?" Ash asked, not impressed. "It's fine! Getting Axew to know about battling is the best way to start it!" Iris replied, raising her nose up high in the air.

"Little at a time, huh? Battling is more fun when you hit it..." Ash grumbled. Iris got angry again as she glared at the Kanto trainer once more.

"That, Ash Ketchum, is why you're such a little kid! Takeru and Riolu are fine the way they are, since they're putting their moves in minimum power, just like he says. Got it?" Iris asked.

"Well, I can see one thing why you rely on Takeru so much..." Cilan chuckled. Takeru face palmed, getting annoyed with Iris' no reason anger.

"And I'd appreciate it if you stop calling people kids, when you sometimes act like one! Otherwise, I might go harder on the two of you." Takeru warned, causing Iris to shudder a little.

"Hey, now that I think about it, this is the first time I'm seeing you two battle!" Ash recalled. "Ash? I suggest that we leave what Iris and Axew want with Takeru and Riolu, alright?" Cilan asked.

Ash grumbled as he sighed. "Okay... Whatever..." Ash grumbled. "Pika..." Pikachu grumbled along. Back to the battle, Iris looked at her Dragon Type with her soothing voice.

"You think you can go on?" Iris asked. Axew still had his face covered, until he shook his face and got up, facing Riolu again. "Axew, you're so strong!" Iris giggled. Ash and Pikachu got psyched at it, then.

"Yeah! Go get them, Axew!" "Pika Pika!" Ash and Pikachu cheered along. Iris smirked and called out her attack. "Now, where were we? Scratch, once more!" Iris called, pointing at her opponent.

Axew ran to the Fighting Type again, with his tiny claws, ready to strike. "Block it, Riolu. And make it easier for the two of us." Takeru replied. "Alright, big bro." Riolu agreed as he held Axew's top fin.

All of the Scratch attacks missed as Axew tried to strike at the Emanation Pokémon. "Axew's sure not cutting it." Ash mumbled. "Pika..." Pikachu agreed. Cilan chuckled nervously.

Pansage, on the other hand, looked amused at this childish battle. Iris was getting annoyed by the block. "Come on, Takeru! Get serious!" Iris demanded. Takeru scoffed, narrowing his eyes.

"But I am being serious with Riolu here. What, you think I would just play around in this game?" Takeru asked. "A game, you say!?" Iris snapped, getting ticked off by the sounding insult.

"Well, that's how a Gym battle works at our Gym! First, you stop your opponents from attacking, and then you might as well attack from the distance!" Cilan replied, recalling of the battles he had in the past.

A glint of light appeared in both Takeru and Riolu's eyes as the Nuvema boy called his next attack. "Okay then! Riolu, get ready to use Force Palm, at minimum power!" Takeru called.

Riolu nodded, placing his palm on Axew's chest. "Uh oh! Not Force Palm!" Iris gasped. "Hey, Iris! Doesn't Axew know any other moves?" Ash asked, getting serious at the moment.

Iris hesitated with the answer. "Yeah... But they wouldn't do any good..." Iris added. Ash sat up, glaring at the girl. "What? Why wouldn't you use them?" Ash asked, confused.

Iris glared back angrily. "I don't need your advice! My advice to you is to let me have my battle and be-" She was interrupted by the Kanto trainer who gasped in surprise.

"Look out!" Ash interrupted. Iris blinked in surprise, as the charging was ready. "Let it rip, Riolu!" Takeru called. At minimum strength, Riolu shoved the little Dragon Type away with Force Palm!

It only seemed like a smoke puff as Ash sweat dropped at that. "You know... I never seen a Force Palm like that..." Ash muttered. "Neither have I... Although it is interesting." Cilan admitted.

At their talk, Axew rolled back, as Iris managed to catch him. "Axew! Are you okay?" Iris asked. The Dragon Type shook it off and got ready for more. "Persistent, are we?" Takeru smirked.

"Get ready to be hit again!" Riolu barked with a smirk. Ash then called out to both Iris and Axew with his piece of advice. "You know, learning what kind of moves to use is an important part of training! So, why don't you use a different move for a change?" Ash asked.

This time, the girl looked like she was ready to explode with anger. "Quiet! Don't you think I already know that!?" Iris shrieked, glaring angrily at the Kanto trainer.

"Ash does have a point. Let's see what else Axew has got... that is... if you have enough guts to show it." Takeru taunted. Riolu snickered along, taunting Axew to bring in the power.

Axew grew a tick on his face, angered by the taunting Riolu is making. Ash added more comments to his advice to Iris. "What I'm trying to say is, if you don't battle like it's for real, Axew will never become strong!" Ash reminded.

"Oh, you two think you both know everything! We'll show you a real move, alright!" Iris smirked. Ash grinned at that. "Great! Now that's what I wanted to see! I can't wait!" Ash called out.

Iris stood up, looking at Axew. "Fine! We'll do it right now! Right, Axew?" Iris asked. "Axew!" Axew growled, as he faced Riolu once again, who was ready. "Yeah! Show them how it's done, Axew!" Ash cheered.

"Pika!" Pikachu cheered along. "Brace yourself, Riolu." Takeru warned. _"I'm ready, big bro."_ Riolu called back, preparing to defend. With that, Iris called out her next attack move.

"Alright, Axew! Use Dragon Rage!" Iris yelled. Axew got ready, with a blue sphere appearing in his stomach. Ash, Takeru, Pikachu, Cilan, Riolu, and Pansage all grew surprised with the new move coming.

As the Dragon Type looked as if he was about to shoot it, it exploded inside his mouth! There was a huge explosion occurring around the group, creating a huge amount of smoke.

As the smoke cleared, there was a big crater with Axew in the middle of it. He seemed unharmed by it. But for the others, Ash, Cilan, Pikachu, and Pansage were all stiffed by the power.

Cilan was twitching in shock, with Pansage coughing out smoke, shocked by the power he had taken damage from. "Awesome... What a move..." Ash grunted as he and Pikachu fell over.

As for Takeru and Riolu, they were still standing, their arms trying to block the blast. Only Riolu's arms and legs seemed to be burnt, with the same going for the Nuvema boy.

"Finish this... with Blaze Kick, Riolu." Takeru muttered. Riolu secretly and quietly knocked Axew out with a small kick on the chest, knocking Axew out with a beat. As Iris looked around, she gasped.

"Oh no, Axew!" Iris gasped. She ran to her unconscious Dragon Type as Takeru ran up to her with Riolu. "Looks like me and Riolu win, even with our minimum power." Takeru smirked.

**Winner: Takeru**

Iris laughed nervously, sighing. "Ha ha ha... Oopsie... Messed it up!... Messed it up again..." Iris groaned. Ash was surprised by that as he recovered from the blow.

"Messed it up again!?" Ash asked in shock. "Pika?" Pikachu asked along. In Iris' hands, the little Dragon Type recovered, before cocking his head with a little smile and laugh.

**Later...**

Everyone washed up from the blow they all took from Dragon Rage. "Ohh... Dragon Rage is still not working right! It's frustrating!" Iris grumbled, annoyed by another failure.

"There's another name for Axew's Dragon Rage..." Ash muttered. Iris turned to see the three boys thinking over the battle. "And the name is Dragon Sneeze!" Cilan chuckled. Ash brightened up to that.

"That's it!" "Pikachu!" Ash and Pikachu agreed. The Kanto trainer then turned to Iris with a teasing look. "So, from now on, we both think that you should just call it Dragon Sneeze!" Ash chuckled.

Iris grew angry with that idea and faced the two, while Takeru looked around, feeling bored, especially with the battle he had, including Riolu.

"It's not a sneeze, okay!? And in case you haven't notice, I'm very upset about this!" Iris snapped. Riolu snickered of hearing Dragon Sneeze instead of Dragon Rage as well.

"Wha... Not you too, Riolu!" Iris complained. "What can I say? I have to admit, it is a bit funny, although it looked like an explosion instead of a sneeze." Takeru chuckled.

Iris sweat dropped and turned away, pouting. "My apologies. I was just joking." Cilan chuckled. "Hey, doesn't Axew know any other moves?" Ash asked. Iris shook her head sadly.

"No... Only Scratch and Dragon Rage. That's it!" Iris answered. Takeru made some thoughts, thinking of what the move does. "Well, Dragon Rage IS a move that can shoot out a fiery ball of energy." Takeru explained.

She nodded to that as she looked down. "Right... But every time Axew uses it, the energy ball ends up exploding instead..." Iris explained. As they were talking, Axew, Riolu, and Pikachu slid down a log.

"So, you see... I thought it would be a good idea to take it slow and move along!" Iris explained. Axew got up onto the tree, looking for the apples as Pikachu and Riolu watched from below.

"But, then I realized something... It's a long, long road to evolving into a Haxorus!" Iris explained. At the tree, Axew picked out two apples and sticked both onto his tusks!

Both Riolu and Pikachu was surprised to see that the Dragon Type was able to do that. With that done, the three little Pokémon slid back down out of the tree, and back to their trainers.

Axew cheered along, presenting the apples to his trainer, smiling happily. He gave one to Iris, as Cilan chuckled. "Say, those tusks came in handy!" Cilan chuckled.

The girl bit onto the apple, as she turned to Axew with a smile. "It's delicious! Thank you, Axew!" Iris thanked, rubbing the Dragon Type's head. Just then, it leapt off, running off again.

"Now, that kind of praise made Axew happy! No wonder it's going off to get more fruit!" Cilan chuckled. "Now, make sure you don't go too far away!" Iris warned.

The three nodded and walked off to another apple tree as Axew took the lead with Pikachu and Riolu following behind. "To be honest, I was pretty amazed by the power that Axew had..." Takeru admitted.

He rubbed his left wrist, as he talked. "With that much power, and some more training... I assure you... It'll be much easier for Axew to learn Dragon Rage in no time flat!" Takeru assured.

"Yeah! By the look of that explosion, it's easy to see Axew's potential!" Cilan agreed. "You think? Hey, thanks, Takeru! Cilan!" Iris thanked happily. With that, the Kanto trainer had an idea.

"Hey, I've got it! Let Axew battle with us this time!" Ash suggested. "It certainly is worth a try!" Cilan agreed. At that suggestion and agreement, Iris grew unsure about it.

"Well, by the looks of it, Axew seems more determined by it. And by battling Ash, I'm sure you can get at least something during the experience in that." Takeru explained, trying to get the point.

Iris looked down, still unsure about it. Then, she frowned, looking up. "No way! I don't want to lose!" Iris explained. Ash frowned at that. "But, with that kind of attitude, you'll never be in a Pokémon battle!" Ash reminded.

"Maybe so..." Iris started, until Ash brought up another subject. "Hey, you never told me or Takeru about the time when you got Axew in the first place!" Ash reminded with question.

Cilan and Takeru grew interested with the subject as well. "I would like to know about that as well!" Cilan assured. "Do you mind telling us about it, or do you not want to talk about it now?" Takeru asked.

Finally, the girl sighed, looking up. "It was a gift..." Iris answered. "From who, Iris?" Takeru asked. "From an Elder." Iris answered. "An Elder?" Ash asked, confused and surprised.

"Yeah... From my hometown." Iris answered, looking at the three boys. "You see, back where I come from, it's a quiet little village where they specialize in raising Dragon Type Pokémon..." Iris started.

_Flashback_

_At a village where lots of Dragon Types were, Iris was in a tent, where the Elder was. "Iris... The moment of your great trial has come to pass..." The Elder replied._

_Iris frowned, ready for her trial. "Y-Yes, Elder..." Iris replied. She got ready for whatever her Elder was going to give her._

To be continued...

**Takeru's Team:**

**Riolu: (M): (Force Palm, Blaze Kick, ThunderPunch, Dig)**

**Joltik: (M): (Electro Ball, Electroweb, String Shot, Signal Beam)**

**Pidove: (M): (Air Cutter, Gust, Quick Attack, Aerial Ace)**

Next chapters:

**Chapter 18: The Scolipede Rampage!**

**Chapter 19: Ash VS Trip! The Second One!**

**Chapter 20: Takeru VS Trip! Rival Friends!**

**Chapter 21: The Rock Shell to Settle!**

**Chapter 22: To Retrieve the Shell!**

**Next chapter preview:**

Iris: Wait a second... Now where could Axew, Pikachu, and Riolu have gone?

Takeru: Oh no, Riolu! That Scolipede... Wha... What is a Tepig doing there!?

Cilan: Here it comes! Run for it!

Ash: Oh man! What are we going to do now!?

Iris: No, Axew! Hang on! I'll get you out of there!

Ash: Cilan, Takeru, and I'll handle this one, Iris!


	18. The Scolipede Rampage!

**Chapter 18: The Scolipede Rampage!**

Last time on "Pokémon Unova Journey", the group were in a break time... or Ash and Cilan were in the middle of a breaktime, watching Takeru and Iris battling each other for Axew's experience.

Despite of going easy on Axew, Riolu proved to be tough, dealing the Dragon Type a few hits, before getting hit by Dragon Rage... or a Dragon 'Sneeze', causing everyone to take the blow.

Later, after the practice battle was over, Iris grew frustrated on how Dragon Rage keeps on exploding, rather than functioning properly. She then thinks about what is best for Axew's experience.

When Ash asked on how she got her Dragon Type Pokémon, Iris started to explain about her hometown, a village where the people there raise Dragon Types.

_Flashback_

_"Iris... The moment of your great trial has come to pass..." The Elder replied, speaking to the girl. Iris nodded with a serious look, ready. "Y-Yes, Elder!" Iris replied._

_With that, the Elder moved the basket up to the girl as she opened it, revealing an Axew. "And now, I will be giving this Axew to you for you to train." The Elder replied, as Axew woke up._

_The little Dragon Type looked around, before spotting Iris as the Elder explained. "You and Axew will be journeying together." The Elder replied, making her voice serious for the girl._

_"Yes, Elder." Iris said again. As the girl picked Axew up, the elder spoke again. "Raising Axew into a magnificent Haxorus will lead you to your own growth, and the truth is, this Axew emerged from its Egg only a few short days ago." The Elder explained._

_She opened her eyes, explaining about the chance that Iris might have for Axew evolving into Haxorus._

_"If you get to know Axew's heart, you will be able to make it strong, though the path you take will be your own choice." The Elder reminded. Iris nodded with a determined look._

_"Right..." Iris replied. "As you go, know that the truth meaning of becoming an adult is by learning the Pokémon's heart, and to learn with it." The Elder replied, sitting up with a stern look. "_

_Do not ever forget for what I have said." The Elder reminded, dismissing the girl._

_Flashback End_

Iris gave a deep sigh, recalling of the words that the Elder have said during the time when she met Axew. "So, that's the story! It's been a while since we started our journey, and I realized that I have to do something, and fast!" Iris explained.

She then turned to the Nuvema boy, who looked serious about listening to her. "You see, Takeru... That's why I asked you and Riolu to have a battle with me and Axew in the first place!" Iris explained.

"So that you could be able to know Axew's heart and for him to gain experience?" Takeru asked, narrowing his eyes. "Right..." Iris agreed, looking down. Cilan smiled at that reason.

"Ah... Well, that makes perfect sense!" Cilan chuckled. "So, Iris. Is the Elder your grandma or something?" Ash asked. Iris giggled with that and shook her head.

"No, Ash. She's the leader of our village. Right, Axew?" Iris asked. But there was no answer. The four trainers blinked their eyes as they looked around for Riolu, Axew, and Pikachu.

"Huh? Axew?... Now, where could those three have gone?" Iris asked, feeling concerned. Takeru let out an assuring smile. "Don't worry, Iris. They couldn't have gotten far." Takeru assured.

"But..." Iris started, as the Nuvema boy continued. "Remember, Pikachu and Riolu are with him, giving them a chance to defend him! So, there's no need to be too concerned!" Takeru again assured.

The girl looked down, still unsure about his words. "I guess so..." Iris sighed.

**Meanwhile...**

**Pokémon POV**

Axew, Pikachu, and Riolu were at a high tree, where the little Dragon Type was trying to get an apple from a thin branch. "Be careful, Axew!" Pikachu warned. Riolu sweated, thinking that something bad could happen.

"I can't watch..." Riolu whimpered as he covered his eyes. Axew grunted, struggling to get an apple. "Almost... there!" Axew grunted, trying to reach for the apple.

He managed to grab it, only for the small branch and the branch he's holding onto to bend a little, much to his surprise. "Axew, look out!" "No, Axew!" Pikachu and Riolu gasped.

This time, they both covered their eyes as Axew DID pick the apple from the tree, only to bounce off the small branch! "Ahhhhh!" Axew screamed as he started to fall, landing on a hard head.

At the bushes, Axew groaned, rubbing his head. "Ow..." Axew groaned. Just then, the thing he was lying on started to move! It hissed, as it looked around, until it noticed Axew.

It seemed to be a giant centipede, with antennas with poison in it. "Who's there!?... Wh-What are you doing on my head, you brat!?" The Bug Type hissed, trying to shake Axew off.

"Ahhh! Heeellllp!" Axew screamed as he was being shaked around. Both Riolu and Pikachu got ready as they tried to help Axew. "Hang on, Axew! Iron Tail!" Pikachu called down.

"Here we go! Blaze Kick!" Riolu called. Both Iron Tail and Blaze Kick did make a hit, but it bounced off, shocking the two Pokémon. The big Bug Type felt it, as he glared at the two.

"More brats!? You little..." The Poison Type hissed as it used its tail, causing both Riolu and Pikachu to smack into the tree with their face. Just as they recovered, there was stomping noises.

Both Pokémon turned to see the giant Bug Type charging towards them! Axew kept on wailing as he held on tight to the Bug Type. "Incoming!" Riolu yelped with a sweat drop.

Pikachu attempted to make amends with the Bug Type as he bowed down with many apologies. "Please, don't do this! We're really sorry!" Pikachu pleaded.

"SILENCE, YOU PESTS!" The giant Bug Type snapped as it smashed into a tree, sending it flying in the air. Both Pikachu and Riolu screamed as they dodged and made a run for it.

The angry Bug Type chased after them, with Axew still on its head. "Come back here, you brats! Get back here right now!" The Bug Type demanded angrily. Pikachu and Riolu wailed as they tried to escape.

As Scolipede ran, the blue glow from Axew's Dragon Rage attack began to glow, as the Dragon Type couldn't handle it anymore. "I can't take it anymore! Dragon Rage!" Axew yelled.

As he formed the energy in his mouth, he again bit onto it, creating an explosion. The explosion sent the two starters flying to the air, much to their displeasure. "Wahhh!" The two screamed.

They fell to the ground as they recovered, continuing to make a run for it. "ASH!" "BIG BROTHER!" Pikachu and Riolu yelled, trying to run for their trainers.

**End POV**

**Back to Takeru and the others...**

As Dragon Rage made its explosion, the smoke was seen by the four trainers as they all widened their eyes, startled with that. "What was that!?" Iris gasped. "Is it Dragon Rage!?" Takeru guessed.

"Maybe it's actually Dragon Sneeze!" Ash teased. Iris glared at the Kanto trainer with annoyance. "FUNNY! I'm going!" Iris snapped as he ran to where the smoke was coming from.

"We're going with you!" Cilan called. With that said, the four trainers ran to where they saw the explosion occur. As they ran, there were rustles on the bushes as two figures jumped out.

It was Pikachu and Riolu as they jumped onto Ash and Takeru, hugging their chest. "Pika Pi!" "Big bro, it's terrible!" Both Pikachu and Riolu called out, gripping onto their trainers' jacket.

"Whoa, Pikachu!? So, what's wrong!? Where's Axew!?" Ash asked. "Hold on! You three were together!" Iris reminded. Riolu panted, taking breaths as he tried to explain the problem.

_"Axew is... Axew is..."_ Riolu panted. Takeru widened his eyes as he listened for more. "Axew is what, Riolu!?" Takeru gasped. _"Axew is with an angry Scolipede!"_ Riolu barked out.

Takeru gasped as Pikachu nodded in agreement to Riolu's answer. He jumped to the ground, imitating the angry Scolipede, while also imitating Axew that was in danger. Ash was having a hard time, though.

"Slow down, Pikachu! I can't really hear of what you're saying!" Ash called out. Just as the Electric Type groaned and tried the imitation again, there were stomping going on.

Takeru gritted his teeth as he got ready, taking a Pokéball out. "Scolipede is coming!" Takeru called. Both Iris and Cilan widened their eyes, as Ash grew both startled and confused.

As the stomping got closer, everyone looked to see Axew, on a big centipede looking Pokémon. "What's that!?" Cilan called in shock. "Axew, what are you doing up there!" Iris shrieked.

"Is that Scolipede!?" Ash asked in shock. "Isn't it obvious!?" Takeru yelled as he took out his Pokédex, scanning the Bug and Poison Type Pokémon.

_"Scolipede, the Megapede Pokémon. Scolipede catches its opponents with great speed and attacks using horns on its head. Scolipede is highly aggressive and will not give up until victorious."_ Takeru's Pokédex buzzed.

As the Nuvema boy put the device away, Scolipede was already close in front of the four trainers! "Here it comes!" Cilan called. Everyone yelled in surprise as they joined in with the chase.

"Oh man! What are we going to do now!?" Ash yelped. As they all ran, Scolipede fired off a poisonous move, that actually caused a rock to melt, with the strong poison acid.

Both Ash and Takeru skidded to a stop, shocked to see the melted rock. Pikachu and Riolu both widened their eyes, also shocked to see the powerful poison melting the rock.

"It used Toxic!" Cilan called out. Scolipede charged after the group, as Iris gasped at seeing her little Dragon Type in peril. "Axew, no!" Iris gasped. The Megapede Pokémon shot another Toxic at the girl.

The three boys gasped as the Nuvema boy gritted his teeth. "Iris, get out of the way!" Takeru yelled. He dove towards her, managing to get her and himself dodge the Toxic attack.

But, the tiny portion of the poison managed to melt Takeru's right wristband and caught the few edge of Takeru's golden piece hair as he winced in pain, landing on his knees.

"Oh no, Takeru! Are you alright!?" Iris gasped. _"NO, big bro!"_ Riolu barked. He dashed to where his human brother is, who gritted his teeth. "Argh..." Takeru grunted, struggling to get up.

"Takeru! Are you okay!?" Ash yelled. The Nuvema boy only answered with a red tick on his head. "That Scolipede really... ticks me off! Pidove, I need your help!" Takeru yelled.

The Tiny Pigeon Pokémon appeared, ready to help. Both Ash and Cilan took out their Pokéballs as well, getting ready for the battle. "Cilan, Takeru, and I will handle this! We'll stop this Scolipede for sure!" Ash assured.

"That's right! Pansage, let's go!" Cilan called, summoning the Grass Monkey Pokémon. "Snivy, I choose you!" Ash called, summoning the female Grass Snake Pokémon to battle.

The two Grass Types faced the rampaging Scolipede as both Cilan and Takeru called out their attacks. "Use Bullet Seed!" "Air Cutter, Pidove!" The two yelled. The two moves exploded right in front of Scolipede.

The Megapede Pokémon yelled in shock as he fell back. Takeru saw his chance to make another strike. "This is your chance, Pidove! Use Aerial Ace!" Takeru shouted.

Pidove nodded as he slashed Scolipede multiple times, as the evolved Bug Type yelled in pain, taking a lot of damage from the attacks he was weak to. Ash grinned at that strike.

"Nice one, Takeru! Snivy, use Vine Whip!" Ash called. Snivy threw her vines around the antenna, trying to pull the Bug Type away. But, the strength from the Bug Type was much stronger.

The strength caused Snivy to lose her balance as she was thrown in the air several times as she squealed. "Snivy!" Ash gasped, catching his female Grass Type as Takeru frowned.

"It's no good! Scolipede's stamina and power is too strong for Snivy to handle! Pidove, use Gust!" Takeru called. Pidove blew several attacks, all making a direct hit to the evolved Bug Type.

But, to the boy's surprise, Scolipede was still charging towards them! "It's coming again! Snivy, return!" Ash called, returning the unconscious Grass Type back to her Pokéball for some rest.

As Scolipede started to get closer, Cilan thought up a plan. "We have to hold back that power somehow!" Cilan called. At that moment, Iris went in front of the boys, taking out another Pokéball.

"Axew, I'll save you! Don't worry!" Iris called, taking out the ball. Ash, Cilan, and Takeru all grew surprised. "You're gonna use another Pokémon!?" Ash gasped.

Iris looked as she was about to throw the Pokéball... But, she started to hesitate a little. "Iris, what's wrong! Hurry up!" Ash called. Iris hesitated, before nodding to herself for some hope.

"Okay! Here goes nothing! Excadrill, let's go!" Iris called. As Iris threw the Pokéball, the ball opened, revealing a new Pokémon, only for it to appear to look like a drill, falling to the ground.

The three boys were dumbstrucked about this form of the Steel-Ground Type. "What's that supposed to be?" Takeru asked as he took out his Pokédex, not amused by the drill form.

_"Excadrill, the Subterrene Pokémon, and the evolved form of Drilbur. Excadrill can dig maze-like underground tunnels for over 100 meters and is powerful enough to cut through thick iron plates using its steel claws."_ Takeru's Pokédex buzzed.

Ash grew confused as the Nuvema boy put the device away. "It looks nothing like the Pokédex!" Ash replied, confused.

"Right! Because Excadrill assumes that form when it's digging underground! So, why does it look that way when it's above the ground?" Cilan asked, also confused. Takeru sweat dropped at that.

"Like Iris said, maybe it's in a bad mood." Takeru grunted. _"Is this how Excadrill is feeling, big bro?"_ Riolu asked, cocking his head. The Nuvema boy shook his head with disbelief.

"I don't think you would want to know now, Riolu." Takeru assured. Iris knelt down, as she started to plead with her evolved Pokémon. "Please, Excadrill! You've got to help me out!" Iris pleaded.

When she got no response, she sighed, returning the Ground Type to its Pokéball. "Forget it! I'll to it myself! Cilan! Takeru! You two make sure Scolipede doesn't go anywhere and I'll make my move!" Iris called.

"Are you sure?" Cilan asked. "You're crazy if you think you're gonna put yourself in danger like that!" Takeru snapped. Iris glared at the two, being serious.

"I don't have any choice! You see, this is part of my trial! What the Elder told me about, it's my duty!" Iris explained. Cilan smiled at that and nodded. "Of course!" Cilan chuckled.

"And we're gonna help you!" Ash agreed. "Okay, then. Brace yourself, then, Iris." Takeru reminded. "Pansage, use Solarbeam on Scolipede!" Cilan called.

Pansage began to charge up the energy, preparing to shoot Solarbeam. Just then, a Fire Type move came by, bashing Scolipede away! Everyone gasped at the power that was done.

"What the!?" Ash gasped in shock. As the figure landed, it was a Tepig! It smirked at the group, snickering at their surprise. "A Tepig?" Takeru wondered, blinking in surprise.

"Why is a Tepig here now?" Iris asked. "No time! Get ready, Iris!" Cilan called. Iris nodded and agreed. "Right!" Iris agreed. Ash then called out his attacks, along with Takeru.

"Pikachu! Use Thunderbolt!" "Pidove, use Air Cutter, now!" Ash and Takeru called. Thunderbolt and Air Cutter was thrown, as the mysterious Tepig shot toxic gas at the Poison Type.

"Tepig is using Smog!" Cilan called out. The three moves exploded in front of Scolipede as it yelped in surprise, staying on track. Cilan saw his chance, calling out the attack.

"Alright, Pansage! Use Solarbeam!" Cilan called. Pansage unleashed the Solarbeam, exploding it right in front of the Megapede Pokémon. As it was distracted, Ash called to Iris.

"Iris, do it!" Ash called. "Right! Haaah!" Iris called, swinging with a vine to grab her Dragon Type. She grabbed the Dragon Type just in time, grabbing his foot.

As the Dragon Type woke up, he smiled, seeing his trainer again. "Alright! I did it!" Iris exclaimed. "Iris, way to go!" "Pika!" Ash and Pikachu cheered. "You were great! So were you, Pansage!" Cilan chuckled.

Pansage was returned to the ball, as Iris sighed happily, feeling relieved for Axew. Tepig smiled, feeling happy that the reunion was made. Takeru blinked at the strange Tepig, looking at it.

"Say, Tepig. Why did you help us? Did something made you do this?" Takeru asked. Tepig shook his head, as he let out a cheeky smile. "Hah..." Takeru chuckled, smiling back.

Just then, Scolipede made an angry hiss at Iris, causing both Iris and Axew to be shocked in surprise. "I think it's still angry!" Iris shrieked. "Iris!" Ash gasped. Cilan and Takeru gasped along.

Riolu and Pikachu grew concerned for their two friends, as Tepig used another Flame Charge! He slammed into the Megapede Pokémon, startling it, as Scolipede glared at it.

"Tepig, look out!" Iris gasped. Scolipede angrily shot Venoshock, which exploded right in front of Tepig, causing him to be sent flying in the air, as he fell to the ground, grunting in pain.

"Oh no!" "That was Venoshock! A strong Poison Type move!" Ash and Cilan called out. Tepig struggled to get up as Scolipede charged at Tepig. Not standing it, the Nuvema boy dove for Tepig.

"Hang on, Tepig!" Takeru yelled. He grabbed the Fire Type, skidding away to safety, much to its surprise. "Takeru!" _"Big bro!"_ Iris and Riolu called in shock.

Takeru winced by skidding on the ground, as Tepig grew concerned for the the Nuvema boy. Takeru smiled as he chuckled. "I'm fine, Tepig. So, you can show that Scolipede what you're made of!" Takeru called.

Tepig nodded as he jumped out of the Nuvema boy's arms, charging at the Megapede Pokémon, smashing it with another Flame Charge. "That's Flame Charge!" Cilan pointed out.

Scolipede grunted in pain, as the Fire Pig Pokémon shot another attack at the Bug Type. This time, it looked as if it was Flamethrower! The move blasted Scolipede, sending it flying out of sight.

It wailed in shock as it disappeared far into the forest. Iris ran to see it flying as she called out to it. "Scolipede! I'm sorry! We didn't mean to startle you!" Iris apologized.

Tepig let out a victory happy cry, as Cilan chuckled at its satisfaction. "Looks like Tepig seems happy for its tough victory!" Cilan chuckled. "I'm telling ya! Tepig looked pretty strong out there!" Ash admitted.

"Pika Pika!" Pikachu agreed. _"The attacks were so cool and powerful!"_ Riolu giggled happily with a smile. Just then, the Fire Type walked up to Takeru, wagging his tail as he rubbed its head on his leg.

"Whoa! What's with the sudden affection?" Takeru chuckled, startled with the sudden liking. "I think Tepig must like you for saving him from Scolipede!" Cilan replied, guessing.

Takeru knelt down, taking out his fourth empty Pokéball. "So, Tepig... I know this is sudden... But, I'd like to ask you something." Takeru explained. Before he could ask, the Fire Pig Pokémon happily tapped on the ball.

To everyone's surprise, the Pokéball opened, sucking Tepig inside, as it showed that Takeru caught Tepig! "No way!" Iris gasped. "Just like that!?" Ash asked, also shocked as well.

Takeru blinked before smiling, summoning Tepig. Tepig looked at the Nuvema boy with a happy smile. "Tepig, you didn't let me finish!" Takeru scolded sarcastically.

Tepig giggled as he looked up, awaiting his question. "So, we all saw you that you were powerful, seeing that you managed to defeat a tough Scolipede... So... I was wondering... if you would like to join me on my journey." Takeru explained.

He continued, before Tepig could react. "My goal is to become strong, a strong trainer in Unova, a trainer that my family can be proud of... And I want you to follow me on that path! What do you say?" Takeru asked.

Tepig beamed happily, nodding. "Tep pig!" Tepig cried out. Everyone laughed as Ash grinned. "Sounds like a yes to me!" Ash replied. Takeru rubbed Tepig's head, before returning the Fire Type.

"Thank you, Tepig..." Takeru whispered, as he smiled with proudness. Iris then knelt down to Axew, smiling sadly at him. "Oh, Axew. Are you okay?" Iris asked. "Axew!" Axew nodded happily.

"I'm sorry if it turned out to be a scary day for you." Iris apologized. "Ax!" Axew giggled happily. Cilan walked up with a smile.

"You know, battling is an art form! And it takes time to perfect, just like with cooking! You just relax! And train Axew in your own pace! Of course, the same thing goes for Excadrill, naturally!" Cilan reminded.

Iris smiled, looking back at her Dragon Type. "Thanks, Cilan. We will!" Iris assured. "Axew!" Axew replied happily. She made a determined fist, facing Axew.

"So, Axew! What do you say we relax and keep our pace for training?" Iris asked. "Axew!" Axew replied happily. Both the Kanto trainer and the Electric Type was then pumped up.

"Great! Then, why don't we have that battle of ours now?" Ash asked. "Pika!" Pikachu agreed. Iris frowned, turning away. She looke at the Kanto trainer with a not amused look.

"You don't listen, Ash! Look, I told you all that we're going to relax and train at our own pace! If you want to battle so badly, why not battle Pikachu?" Iris suggested.

At that idea, the two grinned at that. "Okay... Sounds like a blast!" Ash cried out. "Pika!" Pikachu agreed. The two then faced each other for their own battle, much to the other's surprise.

"Are those two serious!?" Iris snapped. "Ew..." Axew muttered. "They certainly do make a unique combination!" Cilan chuckled, sweat dropping. Takeru and Riolu sweat dropped as well.

Then, the Emanation Pokémon looked at his human brother. _"Big brother. Do we have a new friend now like Tepig?"_ Riolu asked, feeling excited. Takeru smiled, rubbing his head.

"That's right, Riolu. A new friend to accompany us!" Takeru answered._ "YES!"_ Riolu barked happily, cheering for a new companion as the two laughed at each other, before looking at Ash and Pikachu's battle.

Ash seemed to be losing, being paralyzed by Thunderbolt, and then, bashed by Volt Tackle. "Do they really have to take things that far?" Iris asked. Takeru and Riolu stepped up, both chuckling.

"I guess that's what the two of them are." Takeru smirked. Cilan and Iris looked at each other, before shrugging, knowing that this was going to be a long day.

And so, with the energetic and powerful Tepig on Takeru's team, the adventure is known to be more wild! How will the group go by this? Stay tuned for some more actions!

To be continued...

**Takeru's Team:**

**Riolu: (M): (Force Palm, Blaze Kick, ThunderPunch, Dig)**

**Joltik: (M): (Electro Ball, Signal Beam, String Shot, Electroweb)**

**Pidove: (M): (Air Cutter, Gust, Aerial Ace, Quick Attack)**

**Tepig: (M): (Flamethrower, Smog, Flame Charge, Rollout)**

Next chapters:

**Chapter 19: Trip VS Ash! The Second One!**

**Chapter 20: Takeru VS Trip! Rival Friends!**

**Chapter 21: The Rock Shell to Settle!**

**Chapter 22: To Retreive the Shell!**

**Chapter 23: The Trubbish and the Kids!**

**Next chapter preview:**

Ash: Whoa! Look at that! Trip is in the Battle Club as well!

Takeru: Well, it's been a while since I last saw him.

Ash: Hey, Trip! Do you mind if you battle with me? Because I challenge you!

Trip: Really? Do I have to take it someone from the boonies! I'll pass.

Iris: Why not try? You seem more like a kid who's afraid of taking a challenge.

Takeru: Come on, Trip. You know that I would like to see the two of you battle again for you to see some improvements.


	19. Ash VS Trip! The Second One!

**Chapter 19: Ash VS Trip! The Second One!**

Ash panted, running across the road in a town, feeling pretty excited about something for some reason. He and the others were in Luxuria Town, where there were to be another Battle Club.

"There it is! Found it!" Ash called. "Pika!" Pikachu exclaimed. The two went inside, and already began to search for an opponent. Ash looked at the Trainer's Data to look for someone to battle with.

"Perfect! Let's see what kind of trainers I can battle to get ready for the Nacrene Gym!" Ash called out, looking over multiple trainers and their data about their battle strategies.

As he was searching away, Takeru, Riolu, Iris, and Cilan panted as they arrived at the entrance of the Luxuria Town Battle Club. They all went inside, exhausted for catching up to the Kanto trainer.

"We finally caught up!" Cilan replied. Takeru looked around, smiling at his arrival of the Battle Club. "It's been a while since I've been to the Luxuria Battle Club..." Takeru replied.

_"This is also where we trained! Right, big bro?"_ Riolu asked, wagging his tail. The Nuvema boy nodded with a smile, scratching Riolu behind the ears. "Of course I remember, little bro." Takeru answered.

Riolu grinned happily, wagging his tail even faster as he got onto his human brother's shoulder. The two walked over to the others as Iris scolded the Kanto trainer for his rush.

"Running off like that... The Battle Club isn't going to anywhere, you know! You are such a kid!" Iris sighed, until Ash gasped out loud, startling Cilan, Iris, and Takeru as Iris glared at Ash.

"You scared me to death!" Iris snapped angrily. "Look! It's Trip! Trip's here at the Battle Club!" Ash exclaimed, seeing Takeru's childhood friend in the screen. Both Takeru and Riolu blinked in surprise, seeing their friend again.

**(Pokémon: BW Best Wishes Opening: Be An Arrow! (English Subbed))**

(Ash, Takeru, Cilan, and Iris are running with Pikachu, Riolu, Pansage, and Axew, with colorful arrows flying above them as they ran to a light!)

**_One swiftly running arrow!_**

(A blue pillar and orange pillar appears, showing Ash and Pikachu, with Takeru and Riolu)

_**One supple arrow!**_

(A purple pillar appears, showing Iris and Axew)

_**One thinking arrow!**_

(A yellow green pillar appears, showing Cilan)

_**That's us now!**_

(Ash, Takeru, Cilan, and Iris stand together as they move towards the air together)

**_Cross the green mountain, remove the white clouds_**

(The Japanese opening appears)

_**Let's colorfully push through the wilderness, become an arrow!**_

(A group of wild Pokémon from the five regions run or fly along)

_**Even if we suddenly turn around, twist, and shake**_

(Ash, Cilan, Takeru, and Iris are running alongside with the Water Type Pokémon on the sea)

(Meloetta suddenly appears, snatching Ash's hat from his head)

_**There's no way that we'll get separated!**_

(In Prof. Oak's laboratory, all of Ash's Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh were there; Charizard gives a thumbs up to the screen)

_**Sometimes I can no longer see the road, and don't know where to go**_

(Ash and Takeru were stopped by giant pillars, blocking their way)

_**But you will always be by my side!**_

(Pikachu and Riolu appears, with Pikachu using Thunderbolt, while Riolu uses Aura Sphere)

(Both trainers and Pokémon smile happily at each other)

_**Even the bright sun is hidden by the clouds sometimes**_

(Keldeo, Cobalion, Virizion, and Terrakion stands together on top of an ice)

(Kyurem appears, turning into either Black or White Kyurem)

_**But meetings will always bring light!**_

(Cynthia and Alder smile at the four trainers standing at the bottom)

(Hikaru and Dawn comes by, with Infernape using Flamethrower, as Piplup uses Hydro Pump)

(Jessie, James, and Meowth let out evil smirks)

_**One too hot arrow!**_

(Stephan and Sawk pose together, standing together)

_**Two competitive arrows!**_

(Trip and Servine appears together after the dust clears)

_**Three helpful arrows!**_

(Bianca comes by with Pignite, as the two fall together)

_**So the heart will never break!**_

(Trip, Dawn, Hikaru, Iris, Ash, Takeru, Cilan, Bianca, and Stephan stand together with their Pokémon partners)

_**Aim forward as an arrow!**_

(Everyone shoots in the air, towards the sky)

_**Shine greater than even now as an arrow!**_  
_**Thrust toward your dream!**_

(Everyone combines together, creating a huge arrow, shooting towards the building)

(Takeru, Ash, Cilan, and Iris all stand together with all of their current Pokémon)

(Ash: Pikachu, Oshawott, Snivy, Tepig, and Pidove)  
(Takeru: Riolu, Tranquill, Tepig, and Joltik)  
(Iris: Axew and Excadrill)  
(Cilan: Pansage and Dwebble)

**(Opening ends)**

Iris grew confused of hearing Trip's name. "So, who's Trip?" Iris asked. "I had no idea Trip was here in town!" Cilan chuckled, smiling at the Nuvema rival as Ash looked at him in surprise.

"Cilan, you know Trip?" Ash asked. "He challenged the Striaton Gym, too! And, he won himself a Badge!" Cilan explained. "He must've done really well..." Ash replied, thinking over it.

Takeru smiled, seeing his old friend once again."It's been a while since I last saw him. He was leaving for his journey the last time we saw each other." Takeru chuckled.

_"Does that mean Trip is here now, big bro?"_ Riolu asked, cocking his head. The Nuvema boy shrugged as Iris grew impatient. "Will you three stop the private conversation and tell me who Trip is!?" Iris asked.

Ash turned, smiling at the girl. "Oh yeah... He's the trainer I met at Prof. Juniper's lab! The first trainer that I battled in the Unova region!" Ash explained. "Trip is also a childhood friend of mine, you see." Takeru added.

Ash clenched his fist, feeling determined and excited. "Alright! I get to battle Trip again!" Ash exclaimed. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu cheered along, impressing both Takeru and Cilan.

Iris grew a little startled with that. Just then, a familiar voice called agreed to that. "Right. Got it. When it comes to battling, leave it to us! So, welcome to the Pokémon Battle Club!" Don George chuckled.

Takeru smiled of seeing his other mentor while the others grew surprised with the sudden appearance. "So, you want to have a battle with Trip, eh? What's your name, son?" Don George asked.

Ash blinked in surprise as he stammered with his introduction. "Uh... My name is Ash... But, hold on..." Ash answered nervously. Don George raised his eyebrows in confusion.

"Uh... Is there something wrong?" Don George asked. "There's nothing wrong, but didn't you and I meet in Accumula Town?" Ash asked. Takeru smiled and shook his head, explaining.

"Actually, Ash. This is the first time the two of you had met! The Don George we met in Accumula Town is this Don George's cousin!" Takeru explained. "His cousin?" Ash asked, bewildered.

Don George chuckled, smirking. "Right there, Takeru! It's been a while since I last saw you! You were a little eight year old when I last saw you!" Don George chuckled, much to the Nuvema boy's embarrassment.

"Could we not talk about the past, sir?" Takeru whispered, gritting his teeth. The Battle Club owner sweat dropped at his scary look, before getting back to the subject about his cousin.

"Ahem... Take a look over there!" Don George pointed, gesturing to a big picture of where multiple of Don Georges were. Ash widened his eyes in surprise. "Whoa..." Ash replied in amazement.

"This is the Don George you met in Accumula Town... And this is me! Don George of Luxuria Town!" Don George explained, pointing at the pictures as the Kanto trainer smiled.

"Wow! Talk about look alikes!" Ash chuckled. With that subject done, the owner of the Battle Club walked over to the monitor on the Battle Club computer.

"Allow me to get Trip for ya. I'll contact him on the Cross Xtransceiver!" Don George replied, searching for Trip's contact number. "Cross Xtransceiver?" Ash repeated, confused.

"That allows you to communicate with anyone no matter where they are! So, if Trip were to be far or close, you can get to them easily." Takeru explained. "Oh... I see!" Ash replied, grinning.

With the dial done, everyone waited for Trip to pick up the call. A few seconds later, the Nuvema rival appeared on the screen. "Hello, Trip! I have someone that wants to have a Pokémon battle with you!" Don George explained.

He got out of the way, for Ash to make his call. "Hey, Trip! Long time no see!" "Pika Pika!" Ash and Pikachu called out with smiles on their faces. Trip blinked in surprise, seeing the Kanto trainer.

"It's Ash... You're in town, too?" Trip asked. Iris and Cilan pushed Ash away, making their answer. "That's right! He and Takeru were traveling with us and my name is Iris! Glad to meet you!" Iris answered.

"Axew!" Axew agreed. "Looks like you're doing pretty well, Trip!" Cilan chuckled, seeing the Nuvema rival. That caused the boy to be even more surprised. "Cilan? From the Striaton City Gym?" Trip asked.

"Right? Iris, Ash, Takeru, and I are traveling together now!" Cilan explained, smiling. Then, Ash pushed the two away, facing the Nuvema rival again.

"So! You want to have a battle with me? What do you say, Trip?" Ash asked, grinning. Trip scoffed at that, and began to walk.

"Thanks, but no thanks. What's the point of battling your Pikachu, who had lost against my Snivy, who had zero experience back then... And wait, did you say Takeru? Is he with you?" Trip asked.

Both Takeru and Riolu came into the screen, smiling at their old friend. "You could say that, I guess. Hey, Trip. It's been a while." Takeru replied. _"Hi, Trip!"_ Riolu barked out.

Trip gave a small smirk as he kept walking. "It sure has been a while. So, if you're with Ash, that means you started on your journey as your decision?" Trip asked.

The Nuvema boy gave a smile and nodded. "Of course I did. That's basic, the way you put it." Takeru teased, closing his eyes in knowing. _"Big brother made the best choice of all!"_ Riolu barked happily.

Although, only Takeru was able to understand the Fighting Type's words. Trip then grew confused, frowning. "Exactly what are you doing with someone from the boonies?" Trip asked.

Before Takeru could answer, Ash pushed back to the screen, glaring at the boy. "Hold on! The last time we battled, Pikachu wasn't in a very good shape back then! We were unable to use Electric Type moves because of Zekrom!" Ash snapped.

Cilan grew surprised, looking at both Iris and Takeru. "THE Zekrom? You mean the legendary Pokémon?" Cilan asked. "Uh huh! That's it! In Nuvema Town!" Iris answered.

"There was a lightning storm, with a roar going on. There was a shadow of Zekrom there." Takeru explained. "Wow! That's amazing!" Cilan said with amazement.

Back to Ash, he was still arguing with Trip for their reason to battle. "Pikachu's not my only Pokémon! I've caught a bunch of other Pokémon!" Ash snapped angrily, shaking the computer.

"H-Hey, Ash! Keep it down!" Takeru yelped. Don George beat him to it, as he tried to calm the Kanto trainer down. "Now, take it easy! Calm down!" Don George called out.

"And quiet down while you're at it!" Trip called. Everyone turned to see the Nuvema rival coming into the Battle Club, feeling a bit annoyed with the ruckus that Ash has made.

"Here is Trip..." Takeru sighed, rubbing the back of his head. Trip had turned off his Xtransceiver, sighing. "I could hear that loud mouth of yours all the way down the street." Trip muttered.

Ash ran up to the boy and grinned. "Great! So, Trip. You gonna have a battle with me?" Ash asked. The Nuvema rival opened his eyes, making one condition for their battle.

"Maybe... If it's a six on six battle... I guess it's worth doing..." Trip replied. Ash frowned at that, backing off. "A full battle?... Uh... I really can't do that. I only have five Pokémon still!" Ash explained.

Trip blinked, before getting disinterested. "Just five?" Trip repeated. Ash tried to reconsider the Nuvema rival's decision by showing his Trio Badge. "Yeah, but look! I already won a badge!" Ash explained.

Trip scoffed, still disinterested. "I already won two badges." Trip chuckled, much to both Ash and Takeru's surprise. "Two badges!? You mean it!?" Ash yelped in surprise.

"It's been only a few days and you already have that much?" Takeru asked, walking over. "It's no big deal. I just had a headstart, that's all." Trip assured, looking at his childhood friend with a smile.

He looked back at the Kanto trainer, sighing. "It's basic, Ash... Don George! I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to take a pass on this battle!" Trip called out, much to Ash's shock.

"You're serious?" Don George asked. Trip smirked and explained. "What's the point? Ash has only got five Pokémon and one Badge!" Trip chuckled. Ash glared at the rival at that.

"It doesn't matter how many Pokémon I have! You're not gonna beat me!" Ash retorted. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu snapped. Both Takeru and Riolu sweat dropped at the current argument going on.

"Amazing... Where you get all that groundless confidence is beyond me. Are all the Kanto region trainers boonies just like you?" Trip taunted. The Kanto trainer gritted his teeth at that.

"What'd you say!?" Ash snapped angrily. Trip sighed, glancing at the Nuvema boy. "Well, Takeru. How many badges and Pokémon do you have?" Trip asked, ignoring Ash.

"I only have four Pokémon with me, and I also have one badge... Not much better than him..." Takeru chuckled nervously. Cilan smiled at that. Trip blinked in surprise, before shrugging.

"I guess I can leave you as an exception. Does a four on four sound good to you?" Trip asked. Everyone grew shocked at the sudden suggestion. "What's with that all of a sudden?" Takeru asked.

Riolu watched with a curious expression, as Trip explained. "I checked your data once. And it said, you're the top ranked trainer in all of the Battle Clubs. So, that must mean you got even stronger. Maybe even stronger than Ash." Trip explained.

Ash glared at the Nuvema rival at that. "Hold it! What makes you think I'm no better than Takeru!?" Ash snapped angrily. Iris then stepped up, facing the Nuvema rival as he looked back.

"Why not go for it? It's just a battle! It's obvious that you're quite the talker, but big talkers like you are all such little kids!" Iris teased. Trip blinked as his expression turned to a stern expression.

"Little kids?" Trip repeated. "As for me, I'd really like to see the two of you battle! It's like passion and coolness is colliding, creating a crisp and flavorful combination, full of lots of depth!" Cilan explained.

He looked up, smiling. "This is just the kind of battle I'd like to see!" Cilan explained. The Nuvema boy made his response to his childhood friend's request.

"Trip. I do accept your challenge, but on one condition. I'd like to see that battle between you and Ash... if you feel that confident about yourself." Takeru explained, smiling with a nod.

Both Riolu and Pikachu looked back at the Nuvema rival as he sighed, walking back to the Battle Club owner. "I take it back. Don George, please be the ref for our five on five battle." Trip requested.

Don George nodded to that agreement. "Sure. Love to." Don George replied. Ash then grew excited once again. "Hey, Trip! Thanks a lot!" Ash exclaimed, facing his Unova rival.

The Nuvema rival turned, scoffing. "The thing is, I already know what the result is going to be. It could end up being a total waste of my time." Trip replied coldly as walked to the battlefield.

Everyone watched as the Kanto trainer grinned in determination, not wanting to lose that easily.

Later, everyone was at the battlefield, where Don George became the referee for Ash and Trip's five on five battle, as Takeru, Cilan, and Iris watched from the side with Riolu and Axew.

"The five on five Pokémon battle between Trip and Ash will now get underway! Each trainer may use five Pokémon and can substitute at will! The battle will be over when either side are unable to battle! Get ready... Go!" Don George called.

Both boys took out their Pokéballs, summoning their first Pokémon. "Okay, Tranquill! I need your help!" Trip called. A Flying Type that looked just like Pidove appeared, only that it looked different and bigger.

"Wow... Tranquill..." Ash said, amazed as he took out his Pokédex._ "Tranquill, the Wild Pigeon Pokémon, and the evolved form of Pidove. It is believed that a peaceful place without conflict exists deep in the forest where Tranquill live."_ Ash's Pokédex buzzed.

"Alright! Oshawott, I choose you!" Ash called, summoning the Sea Otter Pokémon. Trip was startled to see the Water Type in the battle. "Isn't that...?" Trip started, until Ash smirked.

"You betcha! It's the Oshawott from Prof. Juniper's lab!" Ash explained, smirking. With that, the Kanto trainer started the battle off with his first attack.

**Trip: Tranquill + 4 VS Ash: Oshawott + 4**

"Now, think back at the Striaton Gym, Oshawott, and use Water Gun!" Ash shouted. Oshawott shot the attack, as the Nuvema rival countered. "Dodge it, Tranquill!" Trip warned.

The Wild Pigeon Pokémon dodged the Water Gun as the Nuvema rival sneered. "Use Aerial Ace!" Trip called. The evolved Flying Type swooped down, slashing the Water Type multiple times.

Oshawott lost his scalchop as he fell to the ground, fainted. "Oshawott is unable to battle! Tranquill is the winner!" Don George called out. Ash widened his eyes in shock, seeing that Oshawott was easily beaten.

**Ash: 4** **Pokémon**

"No way..." Ash gasped. Trip smirked as Tranquill flew besides his trainer. "You see, my Tranquill has this ability called Super Luck." Trip explained. Iris looked back at Cilan and Takeru in question.

"What's Super Luck do?" Iris asked. Takeru bit his lips at this state. "Super Luck is an ability that can cause high possibilities for the one having it to give critical hits, like Tranquill over there..." Takeru explained.

Ash took out Oshawott's Pokéball, returning it. "Oshawott, return! And get some rest! Super Luck is not stopping us! Alright, Tepig! I choose you!" Ash called, summoning the Fire Type.

Trip wasn't amused at this at all. "Your Water Type was a bust, so now, a Fire Type? Talk about straight forward." Trip scoffed, as both Ash and Tepig glared at their opponent.

"Hey! Straight forward is fine with me! You can do it, Tepig! Ember, go!" Ash called. Tepig launched the attack, which Tranquill dodged, like Water Gun! It distracted Tepig by flying up into the air.

"Use Ember one more time!" Ash called. Ember was shot again, but it was once again easily dodged. "Tranquill, use Double Team!" Trip called. Tranquill created clones of itself, much to the Fire Type's surprise.

"Don't be fooled by it, Tepig!" Ash called. Tepig nodded as the Nuvema rival called out the next attack. "Use Work Up!" Trip called. Suddenly, all of the clones began to glow with red aura.

"What's that!?" Ash asked. "Work Up can raise the user's attack strength! Trip is planning this to finish it with one blow!" Takeru answered, narrowing his eyes. _"Look out, Tepig!"_ Riolu barked with warning.

"Tranquill! Aerial Ace!" Trip called. All the clones charged at Tepig, who grew confused of which was the real one. As Tranquill got close, it slashed into the Fire Pig twice, like Oshawott.

The clones disappeared as Tepig fainted, similar to how Oshawott lost. "Tepig is unable to battle! Tranquill wins!" Don George declared.

**Ash: 3** **Pokémon**

"Tepig! Are you okay!?" Ash shouted, running to his Fire Type. The Fire Pig Pokémon sighed sadly, upset of being beaten so easily. "Pika?" Pikachu asked along. Ash took out the Pokéball, returning the Fire Type.

"Thanks, Tepig. Take a good rest." Ash thanked, as Trip made his 'suggestion'. "You should defininetly start from the top!" Trip taunted. Both Ash and Pikachu glared at the Nuvema rival, who smirked.

"Basic!" Trip called, taunting the two. The Kanto trainer got up, still ready for some more. "Yeah!? Well, we're just getting started! Pikachu, why don't we show him some real strength?" Ash asked.

"Pika Pikachu!" Pikachu agreed. Takeru sighed, seeing that Ash was already at a disadvantage, yet he was still confident. "Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Ash yelled.

Pikachu shot Thunderbolt, which Tranquill dodged again. "So, Pikachu really can use Electric Type moves! Okay, Tranquill! Use Work Up!" Trip called. Tranquill glowed with red aura again!

It boosted its attack strength, as Trip called out the next move. "Now, Aerial Ace!" Trip called. Tranquill dove down, striking Pikachu many times. Like the other two, Pikachu landed on the ground, but didn't faint.

"Get up, Pikachu!" Ash called, as the Nuvema rival smirked at that. "Oh, just give it up. It's time for win number three! Now, Tranquill, use Aerial Ace once more!" Trip called.

Tranquill aimed another attack as the Kanto trainer counterattacked with his type of strategy. "Pikachu, grab Tranquill!" Ash called. As Aerial Ace did hit again, Pikachu managed to grab its legs!

He then slammed the Flying Type to the ground. "Now, give Tranquill a good throw!" Ash called. The Electric Type threw the Flying Type into the air, as Ash called out the next move.

"Alright! Volt Tackle!" Ash called. Pikachu charged at the Flying Type with high speed, as Trip gritted his teeth. "Quick, Tranquill! Dodge it!" Trip yelled. But, it was too late as Tranquill was hit!

The Flying Type yelled in pain as he was smashed into the air. As it landed on the ground, it fainted by the powerful blow. "Tranquill is unable to battle! Pikachu's the winner!" Don George declared.

**Trip: 4** **Pokémon**

"Yes!" Iris cheered out. "He managed to defeat Tranquill!" Takeru called out in surprise. _"But Ash is still losing! Trip could send out a tougher one than Tranquill!"_ Riolu complained.

Takeru bit his lips as Ash grinned. "Alright! Great work, Pikachu!" Ash complimented. "Pikachu!" Pikachu agreed. The Kanto trainer grinned, facing his Unova rival.

"So! You know that this isn't the same Pikachu that you battled in Nuvema Town!" Ash grinned. The Nuvema rival returned his Flying Type as he sighed. "I guess so... But, you'll never be able to beat my Servine!" Trip called, summoning his next Pokémon.

The next one that Trip sent out, was a Servine! "A Servine!?" Ash gasped in surprise. Pikachu blinked in surprise as Servine smirked. Riolu tugged onto Takeru's shirt, getting curious.

_"Isn't that..."_ Riolu started. Takeru nodded to that. "Yeah... Trip's Snivy must've evolved into Servine!" Takeru agreed. Ash was facing the same situation as well. "That Servine... It's gotta be... It evolved from the Snivy that Pikachu battled!" Ash replied.

He recalled of the time when his Electric Type had lost to Snivy the first time they battled. "I trained it, and it evolved. It's basic." Trip smirked. The Kanto trainer gritted his teeth, refusing to lose again.

"No way! Trip's not beating me this time! Pikachu, you ready to win?" Ash asked. "Pika!" Pikachu growled in agreement. "Ash and Pikachu look as if they really mean business! This is gonna be great!" Iris replied, smiling.

"Trip defeated Chili's Pansear, using that Servine, which allowed him to win the Trio Badge! There's no doubt that this battle will be robust and densely rich! They'd better stay sharp!" Cilan chuckled.

"Mm..." Takeru mumbled, getting nervous all of a sudden as the battle continued. "Alright, Pikachu! Use Iron Tail, let's go!" Ash called. Pikachu readied the Steel Type move, aiming to strike.

"Servine, use Cut!" Trip shouted. Servine swiftly ran, and deflected Iron Tail! That was when Trip made his plan. "Servine, stay on Pikachu! Now, Leaf Tornado, let's go!" Trip called.

Like the first battle, the Grass Type used the powerful Grass Type move, trapping Pikachu as he was sent smashing to the ground. Pikachu yelled in pain as the Kanto trainer gasped.

"Hang in there, Pikachu! Get up!" Ash called. Pikachu grunted as he got onto his feet as Ash grinned. "Alright! Now, use Volt Tackle and turn this around!" Ash called.

Volt Tackle was being charged at Servine as Trip smirked. "Let's finish this up, Servine! Use Cut!" Trip shouted. The two moves passed each other, both dealing damage. But, only one survived.

Pikachu, losing all of his health by the battle with Tranquill fell to the ground, fainted. "Pikachu, no!" Ash yelled. "Pikachu is unable to battle! The winner is Servine!" Don George declared.

**Ash: 2** **Pokémon**

Takeru sighed, getting concerned for his Kanto friend. Trip already had two evolved Pokémon, and those two defeated already three of Ash's Pokémon, leaving Ash with only two.

Trip still had four to go. _"Is Ash gonna lose, big bro?"_ Riolu asked. "We'll just have to find out and see, Riolu. We won't know until it reaches to a conclusion." Takeru answered, getting serious.

Back to the battle, Ash was back at his trainer box as Trip sneered. "You still want to see this through? Face it, you only got two Pokémon left, while I still have four! I'd say this match is in the bag!" Trip taunted.

Ash gritted his teeth, refusing to give in. "I'd say you're wrong because this match isn't over until it's over!" Ash snapped. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu agreed. The Kanto trainer took out his fourth Pokéball.

"Alright! Snivy, I choose you!" Ash called. The female Grass Type appeared, facing her male evolved form. Iris grew confuse to Ash's choice. "Why would Ash use Snivy? He still has Pidove, who is a Flying Type!" Iris asked.

Takeru widened his eyes, then smiled. "Ash... I think I know where this is going!" Takeru smirked. Both Cilan and Iris looked at him in confusion as the battle continued on.

"Snivy! Vine Whip, go!" Ash called. Snivy sent out her vines, whipping Servine, who dodged them all! "Now, use Leaf Blade!" Ash called. Trip was already one step ahead of that.

"Dodge, and use Leaf Tornado!" Trip yelled. The evolved Grass Type dodged, before unleashing another Leaf Tornado attack! Snivy was pulled in as she shrieked in pain, smashed to the ground.

"Snivy, no!" Ash gasped. Snivy pulled herself together, getting up. "It's like I said before. I trained my Snivy, and it evolved into Servine!" Trip smirked. "It takes a lot more than just evolving to become strong! My Snivy is going to win, no doubt!" Ash assured.

He then made another attack. "Vine Whip, one more time!" Ash called. Snivy threw some more Vine Whips at Servine, who again dodged easily. "Snivy, use Attract!" Ash called.

Attract was thrown at Servine, who then fell in love with the pre-evolved! Trip widened his eyes in shock. "Snivy knows Attract!?" Trip gasped. Takeru grinned at that move strategy.

"I thought so!" Takeru called out. "I forgot Snivy can use that move!" Iris admitted, smiling. "Looks like Ash did have a plan after all!" Cilan chuckled. "Snivy, use Vine Whip!" Ash called.

Multiple times as Snivy whipped Servine, who was still in love with his pre-evolved form. He fell to the ground, as Trip gasped. "Servine, no!" Trip shouted. Servine didn't wake up from the status, however.

"Alright! Leaf Blade, go!" Ash called. One more strike of Leaf Blade managed to finish the evolved Grass Type Pokémon off! Servine fainted as Trip gasped at seeing his starter faint.

"No, Servine!" Trip yelled. "Servine is unable to battle! Snivy wins!" Don George declared. "Wow, Snivy! Great job!" Ash complimented. Pikachu cheered as Snivy smiled with her victory.

**Trip: 3** **Pokémon**

The Nuvema rival returned the Grass Type back to its Pokéball, still smiling. "Well, wonders never cease! Using Attract was a surprise to me!" Trip admitted. Ash smiled, returning his Grass Type.

"I'm going to switch Pokémon, so you get some rest!" Ash recalled. He looked at his Unova rival with a smile. "Now that you have three Pokémon, I'm catching up!" Ash boasted.

Trip sneered as he summoned his third Pokémon. "We'll see about that! Frillish, let's go!" Trip called. A haunting Water Type looking Pokémon appeared, ready to have his battle.

Takeru widened his eyes as he and Riolu both got the shivers. "Why did Trip have to catch a Ghost Type... Ugh..." Takeru groaned, hugging his Fighting Type, as Riolu hugged his human brother back.

He said nothing, but only whimpered as Cilan noticed. "Something wrong, Takeru?" Cilan asked. Takeru shook as he explained. "You see, both Riolu and I aren't fond with Ghost Types at all..." Takeru explained.

Riolu only moaned, covering his face on the Nuvema boy's chest, as Iris gulped. "You might have the same fear as me, but only with a different type..." Iris replied, shaking of the chilly feeling.

Ash took out his Pokédex, scanning the Water Type. _"Frillish, the Floating Pokémon. Frillish can constrict its foes using its veil-like tentacles and numb them with poison. It is said to live in dens some five miles below sea level."_ Ash's Pokédex buzzed.

The Nuvema boy and Riolu got ahold of themselves as they continued to watch the battle. "Pidove, I choose you!" Ash called, summoning his Flying Type. "Quick! Use Air Cutter!" Ash called.

Air Cutter was shot as Trip only made a simple call. "Frillish, use Protect." Trip called. A barrier formed around the Floating Pokémon, as Air Cutter was deflected! "Use Water Pulse." Trip called.

Frillish launched a Water Pulse, which trapped Pidove inside it! Pidove struggled but fainted, after being slammed into the wall by the powerful Water Type attack, sliding down.

"Pidove!" Ash gasped, seeing that his Tiny Pigeon Pokémon is unable to battle. "Pidove is unable to battle. Frillish is the winner!" Don George declared.

**Ash: 1** **Pokémon**

"That Frillish sure is powerful. Its' battling style is quite a battling flavor!" Cilan stated. "Ash is only down to one Pokémon!" Iris replied, worried for the Kanto trainer.

"Yeah... And that one is Snivy... Although, it still might look weak after that battle with Servine..." Takeru muttered, sweating of the Ghost Type being there. Ash returned the Flying Type with a smile.

"Thanks, Pidove. Take a good rest." Ash thanked. "Haven't you had enough?" Trip asked. Ash looked back to Trip, who shook his head with a taunting smile.

"Why don't you just quit while you still can? For your own sake." Trip taunted, as Ash gritted his teeth. "Argh. I told you this battle isn't over! Snivy, I choose you!" Ash called, summoning Snivy again.

Snivy looked ready to battle as Ash called out a risky move. "Snivy! Use Vine Whip!" Ash called. Snivy lashed at Frillish, as the other three gasped. "Oh no!" "Ash, it's a trap!" Cilan and Takeru yelled.

But, it was too late as Vine Whip made contact, giving Frillish a direct hit. "Yeah! Snivy, keep it up... Huh? What's the matter, Snivy?" Ash asked. Both the Kanto trainer and Pikachu looked to see Snivy in a dark aura.

She was in some kind of trance, as Trip smirked. "It's obvious that you don't know the basics at all! Especially if you attack a Pokémon like Frillish who has Cursed Body!" Trip teased.

"Cursed Body?" Ash repeated in confusion. "Cursed Body is an ability that a Ghost Type like Frillish has! When struck physically, it can cause the opponent's move to be disabled!" Takeru explained.

Iris looked as if she was about to explode, until Cilan calmed her down. "Now now... No to be get all riled up!" Cilan chuckled. Ash then faced the rival again. "Then, how about Leaf Storm on for size!?" Ash called.

Snivy unleashed a Leaf Storm, which Trip again countered. "Use Protect." Trip called. Protect repelled Leaf Storm again as Frillish stayed safe. "Now, use Night Shade!" Trip shouted.

Night Shade did its move, as it caused Snivy to take a headache and some damage. "Snivy, I know that you can do it!" Ash called. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu yelled. Frillish only laughed at the female Grass Type.

"Alright, Leaf Storm!" Ash called. This time, it made a direct hit, as Frillish was hit by the powerful move. "Now! Use Attract!" Ash called. Attract was thrown, but Frillish dodged it by floating up!

Snivy and Ash both grew surprised to that. "It dodged it!?" Ash gasped. "It dodged Snivy's Attract... Frillish is fast! Quite a robust opponent! Tough indeed!" Cilan stated, thinking it over.

"This is no time to get impressed! Something like that really freaks me out, coming from a Ghost Type!" Takeru stuttered, shivering even more with Riolu. Ash gritted his teeth at that.

"It's all or nothing... Snivy! Use Leaf Blade, let's go, now!" Ash called. Everyone was shocked at that attack call. "Not Leaf Blade!" "Snivy's moves are doomed from the start!" Cilan called out.

"Ash, no!" Takeru yelled, as Riolu called out to warn Snivy. "Finish with one shot!" Ash called. But, it was too late as it made contact, with Cursed Body activating once again.

"Did it work?... Ah!" Ash gasped. Frillish sneered, being able to withstand the attack as his effect happened again. "Use Water Pulse!" Trip called. Water Pulse this time trapped Snivy insde.

She gritted her teeth in pain, as Snivy grew confused. "No! Now Snivy's confused!" Ash yelled. Trip smirked, preparing to finish this off. "According to plan! Alright, Frillish! Use Hex!" Trip yelled.

"What's Hex!?" Ash gasped. "Hex is a move that can hit, but double the damage if the opponent is confused! This is bad if Snivy gets hit now!" Takeru yelled, gritting his teeth.

Hex made its hit, knocking the Grass Type unconscious. "Snivy is unable to battle! Frillish is the winner! And the victor is Trip!" Don George declared.

**Winner: Trip**

Ash and Pikachu ran over to the Grass Type as Ash recalled his Grass Type. "Snivy, are you okay?... You battled really well." Ash complimented, sighing. Trip walked over, smirking.

"I guess Pikachu and Snivy were okay... But, your other Pokémon were a complete joke. So were their trainer." Trip taunted, sneering at his rival. "What was that!?" Ash snapped angrily, raising a fist.

Trip glanced at the Nuvema boy with a knowing look. "Well then... Are you going to accept my challenge or not? I battled Ash, just like you asked me to do." Trip asked, getting serious.

Takeru bit his lips as he stood straight, facing his childhood friend with a nod. "Okay then. But, your Pokémon are need in recovery. So, I'll be waiting until then." Takeru explained.

Trip sneered, shrugging. "Whatever. That is basic." Trip smirked. Everyone watched as the tension grew, with Ash still glaring at Trip, as both Trip and Takeru faced each other for their first rival battle together.

What would the results go for Takeru? Stay tuned for some more!

To be continued...

**Takeru's Team:**

**Riolu: (M): (Force Palm, Blaze Kick, ThunderPunch, Dig)**

**Joltik: (M): (Electro Ball, Electroweb, String Shot, Signal Beam)**

**Pidove: (M): (Air Cutter, Gust, Quick Attack, Aerial Ace)**

**Tepig: (M): (Flamethrower, Smog, Flame Charge, Rollout)**

Next chapters:

**Chapter 20: Takeru VS Trip! Rival Friends!**

**Chapter 21: The Rock Shell to Settle!**

**Chapter 22: To Retrieve the Shell!**

**Chapter 23: The Trubbish and the Kids!**

**Chapter 24: The Trubbish Squad Recruits!**

**Next chapter preview:**

Ash: Oh man... I lost to Trip once again...

Trip: Snivy and Pikachu may be okay... But the others are a joke... And so is their trainer.

Ash: What did you say!? I'll make you eat those words, Trip!

Trip: Well then, Takeru... You're next. It's about time we have our battle together.

Takeru: Okay then... Try to keep up then, Trip. Not that you can.

Cilan: A battle between childhood friends! Now, that is a battle flavor in hand!


	20. Takeru VS Trip! Rival Friends!

**Chapter 20: Takeru VS Trip! Rival Friends!**

Last time on "Pokémon Unova Journey", Ash was running to the Luxuria Town Battle Club to battle someone before he could try the Nacrene Gym at Nacrene City, only to see Trip's Battle Data.

Takeru, Cilan, and Iris managed to catch up as the four called Trip in order for him to battle Ash. But, Trip declined, seeing that Ash only had one Badge and only has five Pokémon.

But, with the words coming from Iris and Cilan, and a requirement from Takeru to battle Ash, Trip finally accepted the challenge, making it a five on five battle, facing Ash for the second rival battle.

As the two battled, his evolved Tranquill managed to defeat Tepig and Oshawott easily, before falling to Pikachu, who fell to Servine. Next, Snivy stole the thunder by defeating her evolved form.

After Servine was down, Pidove was next, only to be easily defeated by Trip's powerful Frillish, who also defeated Snivy, making Trip the victor of the battle. Now, it's Takeru's turn to face his childhood friend.

What could happen in their first four on four battle together?

It was the middle afternoon as Trip and Takeru faced each other for their own four on four rival battle. Ash, Cilan, and Iris watched on the sidelines as Don George explained the rules.

"The Pokémon battle between Trip and Takeru is about to begin! Each trainer will use four Pokémon! And the battle will be over, when one side is unable to battle! Also, substitutions are allowed during this battle! So, with that! Begin!" Don George declared.

Both Nuvema trainers took out their Pokéballs as they both summoned their first Pokémon. "Alright then, Timburr! Let's go!" Trip called. A Fighting Type looking Pokémon appeared for a battle!

It looked ready, holding its timber high in the air. Ash blinked in surprise, seeing the new Pokémon. "Who's that Pokémon?" Ash asked, taking out his Pokédex. "It's a Timburr, Ash!" Cilan answered.

_"Timburr, the Muscular Pokémon. Timburr always carries a wooden beam. When it can easily lift its heavy burden, it is close to evolving." _Ash's Pokédex buzzed.

"Alright then! Pidove! I need your help!" Takeru called, summoning the Flying Type to the battlefield! Pidove chirped with a determined glare, facing Timburr in a battle position.

"Pidove against Timburr! It's great! Takeru has the type advantage!" Iris called out. "Well, the battle looks to be in Takeru's flavor... But, let's see what Trip has in his sleeve!" Cilan explained.

**Trip: Timburr + 3 VS Takeru: Pidove + 3**

"Alright, let's get this started! Timburr, use Rock Smash!" Trip called. Timburr charged at Pidove, while smashing his timber to the ground, preparing to strike in the air, as Takeru got ready.

"Send it right back with Gust, Pidove!" Takeru called. Gust blew Timburr back as Trip gritted his teeth. "Quick! Timburr, use Strength!" Trip called. The Fighting Type regained his feet, holding his timber.

He jumped in the air, preparing to throw it at Pidove. "I don't think so! Pidove, use Quick Attack to dodge!" Takeru yelled. "It's useless!" Trip smirked, much to the Nuvema boy's surprise.

Timburr smirked as he jumped farther, smashing his wood on the Tiny Pigeon Pokémon, who squawked in surprise, being sent to the air. "What the!?" Takeru yelped, surprised at this.

Ash was surprised as he widened his eyes. "Whoa! How did Timburr do that!?" Ash asked. "I would guess that Trip was ready for a Flying Type like Pidove when it was flying away!" Cilan guessed.

As Timburr landed on the ground, the Nuvema rival smirked. "Not so confident now, are we, Takeru? Timburr, use Strength, again!" Trip called. Once again, it held the wood as Takeru gritted his teeth.

"We're not falling for the same thing! Pidove, use Aerial Ace, quick!" Takeru called. Swiftly, the Flying Type dodged Strength, then bashed the Fighting Type multiple times, like Tranquill had done.

Trip had noticed as he frowned. "Is that...?" Trip started. Takeru smirked and called out another move. "Now's your chance! Pidove, Air Cutter, let's go!" Takeru yelled, pointing at the opponent.

The male Tiny Pigeon Pokémon threw out many Air Cutters, surrounding the Fighting Type with the explosion! Timburr grunted in pain as Trip gritted his teeth,

"Keep it going, Timburr! Let's go with DynamicPunch!" Trip yelled. Timburr set the timber, as he leaped onto it, then dove for Pidove, who yelped in shock. The Nuvema boy got ready for that.

"Heads up, Pidove! Aerial Ace, let's go!" Takeru yelled. Pidove confidently shot at Timburr, interrupting his DynamicPunch, as he slammed onto his opponent! "No way! Timburr!" Trip yelled.

The Aerial Ace direct blow caused the Muscular Pokémont to slam towards the ground. However, as the dust cleared, it still managed to get up! "Timburr can still battle!?" Takeru snapped.

Iris grew startled with that as well. "No way! Timburr was able to withstand the same combo that Trip's Tranquill was able to do!" Iris called out. Ash called to his friend with a yell.

"Don't give in, Takeru! You can win this!" "Pikachu!" Ash and Pikachu cheered out. Takeru took out Pidove's Pokéball, returning the Flying Type for its break. "Take a nice break, Pidove!" Takeru called.

Pidove was returned as the Nuvema boy took out another Pokéball. "Tepig, let's see what you've got!" Takeru yelled. The tough Fire Pig Pokémon appeared, flaring its nose up, determined to win.

"Hold on! Why would Takeru switch out with Tepig?" Iris asked. "Maybe Takeru is planning to fry things up a notch!" Ash joked. "This isn't funny, Ash Ketchum! You're such a little kid!" Iris shrieked angrily.

"So now, you have a Fire Type, too? Big deal! Timburr, use Strength!" Trip called. Timburr raised his timber, ready to hit Tepig. "Tepig, intercept with Flamethrower!" Takeru yelled.

Fire blasted Timburr away before Strength could even be used! Timburr grunted as he fell to the ground, much to Trip's surprise. "Timburr, no!" Trip yelled. "Now, use Flame Charge!" Takeru yelled.

Tepig quickly ran, being surrounded in fire as he smashed into Timburr with the physical Fire Type move! Timburr yelled in pain as he fell to the ground, burnt by the direct blows.

"Timburr, no!" Trip yelled again. "Timburr is unable to battle! Tepig is the winner!" Don George declared.

**Trip: 3** **Pokémon**

"Awesome! He took Trip's first Pokémon out in no time flat!" Ash exclaimed. "Pikachu!" Pikachu agreed with a happy smile.

"Wow... I'm impressed! From using fire with Flamethrower, and Flame Charge, Takeru really heated the spiciness up!" Cilan chuckled. The Nuvema rival returned his Fighting Type with a blink.

"Not bad. But, let's see on how well you fare up against Tranquill!" Trip called, summoning the Wild Pigeon Pokémon. Tranquill chirped out loud, ready to battle. Takeru took out his Pokéball again.

"Tepig, take a nice break!... And Joltik, you're up next!" Takeru called. Tepig grinned as he was returned, as Joltik glared at the Flying Type, ready to win. "So now, it's an Electric Type? Big deal." Trip smirked.

"Joltik, shock him with Electro Ball!" Takeru yelled. The Attaching Pokémon launched an electricity ball, aiming to strike Tranquill as Trip called out his counterattack. "Use Double Team!" Trip called.

Clones of Tranquill appeared, much to Joltik's surprise. "No... This again!?" Takeru snapped. "Now, Tranquill! Use Work Up!" Trip called. Now, all the clones glowed, gaining some power.

"With Work Up done, Tranquill's critical attacks chance will be even higher!" Cilan stated. "Now, Tranquill! Use Aerial Ace!" Trip called out. All the clones closed in on Joltik, who got ready.

"We're not falling for that so easily! Joltik, use Electroweb, now!" Takeru yelled. The Electric-Bug Type shot a large electricity web, trapping all the clones, causing them to disappear!

"What!?" Trip gasped. "Unreal!" Iris gasped along. The web also trapped Tranquill, pinning it to the ground, as it yelled in pain from the super effective attack. "Tranquill! Get up, quick!" Trip called.

The Nuvema boy wasn't going to allow it as he called out the next attack. "Now, Joltik! Signal Beam!" Takeru yelled. Signal Beam was shot, as it blasted Tranquill away into the air!

"No, Tranquill!" Trip yelled. The Flying Type fell to the ground, groaning. "Tranquill is unable to battle! Joltik is the winner!" Don George declared.

**Trip: 2** **Pokémon**

"Wow! He defeated Tranquill so easily!" Iris said, amazed. "Axew Ax!" Axew exclaimed. "The battle in high stakes are going to Takeru now!" Cilan chuckled, smiling at the current situation.

"Just two more to go, Takeru!" Ash called. "Pika!" Pikachu agreed. Trip returned the Flying Type, and sweated. _"Okay... Looks like I underestimated him... Using a tough Tepig and a tricky Joltik to defeat both Tranquill and Timburr... That's going way too far!"_ Trip thought.

He took out his third Pokéball, summoning his next Pokémon. "Alright, Frillish! Let's go!" Trip called. Once again, the Floating Pokémon appeared, facing both Joltik and Takeru.

"Ugh... Out of the six, you had to use Frillish..." Takeru shuddered. Riolu whimpered, shivering as well. The Nuvema rival smirked, teasing his childhood friend.

"Hey... I thought you got rid of your fear of Ghost Type Pokémon!" Trip teased. That caused the Nuvema boy to glare at his friend, getting ready. "Go ahead and take your best shot then, Trip!" Takeru yelled.

Trip smirked and agreed. "With pleasure! Frillish, use Water Pulse!" Trip called. "Joltik, use Electro Ball!" Takeru snapped. Electro Ball and Water Pulse collided together, exploding.

"Quick! Signal Beam!" Takeru yelled. "Frillish, Protect." Trip called. Joltik launched a powerful Signal Beam, only to be repelled by the Protect move! "Argh..." Takeru grunted, seeing that his attack failed.

"Now, Frillish! Use Night Shade!" Trip called. Dark soundwaves reached Joltik as he yelled in pain. "Joltik! Stay strong!" Takeru called. The Nuvema rival sneered, making his next attack.

"Being careful won't help much! Now, Frillish! Water Pulse again!" Trip called. The Water and Ghost Type Pokémon launched another Water Pulse, trapping the Attaching Pokémon inside!

Joltik wailed in pain as he was sent to the wall, sliding on the floor as he wobbled, confused. "Oh no, now Joltik is confused!" Ash gasped. Trip and Frillish together both smirked at that.

"Which is exactly how we planned it! Now, Frillish! Use Hex!" Trip called. "Quick, Joltik! Use Electroweb!" Takeru called. Joltik managed to shoot an electricity web, which Frillish dodged.

Then, Hex activated, knocking the Bug Type out of the battle. "Joltik!?" Takeru yelled. "Joltik is unable to battle! Frillish is the winner!" Don George declared. Ash bit his lips at that.

**Takeru: 3** **Pokémon**

"I can't believe an Electric Type like Joltik had lost to a Water Type like Frillish so easily!" Ash grunted, gritting his teeth. "Frillish is a tricky and a clever one, by the looks of it..." Cilan stated, making thoughts.

Takeru returned the Electric Type, smiling. "Thanks for trying, Joltik. Now, take a nice rest." Takeru thanked. He stood up, facing Frillish with a creepy thought in his mind of it.

_"Ugh... Frillish... This is starting to get very annoying! An ability with Cursed Body... and using Protect... That makes it more harder to win the battle, rather than winning one easily!"_ Takeru thought, shivering.

"What's up? Scared?" Trip teased. The Nuvema boy smirked with sweat on his forehead. "Ha. You wish... Pidove, I need you again!" Takeru yelled, summoning the Flying Type once again.

"Hold on! Pidove was weakened by that battle with Timburr! Wouldn't it be better if Takeru sent out Riolu?" Iris asked. "Remember, Iris. Riolu only has moves that can go on with physical contact!" Cilan reminded.

The girl sweat dropped at that, falling over as she got back up. "Of course... Why wouldn't I know about it?..." Iris mumbled. "Frillish! Use Night Shade!" Trip called.

Night Shade did its work, causing Pidove to get a headache as the Flying Type fluttered to the ground. "Stay strong, Pidove! Use Air Cutter now!" Takeru called. "Protect!" Trip called.

The barrier guarded the Floating Pokémon from Air Cutter, just like with Ash's Pidove! "Now, use Water Pulse!" Trip called. "Use Air Cutter again, Pidove!" Takeru shouted out.

This time, Pidove shot the Flying Type move, which collided with the Water Pulse, and creating an explosion. "Quick, Frillish! Water Pulse again!" Trip shouted out.

Water Pulse made a hit, washing the Flying Type away, much to its pain. "Pidove, no!" Takeru called. "Alright, Frillish! Finish it up with Night Shade!" Trip called. Frillish prepared to attack again.

But, before the Water Type could use the move, Pidove began to glow! Everyone grew surprised by it, as Riolu awed in amazement. "Big bro... Is that evolution?" Riolu asked.

Takeru smiled and nodded. "That's right... Pidove is starting to evolve!" Takeru exclaimed. Everyone watched as Pidove formed into a Tranquill! Takeru's Tranquill chirped, ready to continue the battle.

"That's amazing! Pidove evolved into Tranquill!" Iris exclaimed. "I sense a new battle flavor in hand right now!" Cilan chuckled. "Keep it up, Takeru!" Ash cheered, raising his fists.

"Pika Pikachu!" Pikachu cheered along. Trip gritted his teeth, then let out a smirk. "Evolution won't change a thing! Now, Frillish! Use Night Shade!" Trip called out.

Like before, Night Shade did its work, giving the newly evolved Flying Type some pain. The Nuvema boy took out his Pokédex, looking over the Wild Pigeon Pokémon's moves.

"Looks like you learned a new move! Let's give it a try, Tranquill!" Takeru called. Tranquill nodded, ready for some more action. "Tranquill, use Roost!" Takeru called, as Tranquill did his move.

He began to glow, but it wasn't the evolution glowing. Transparent feathers flew around the Flying Type as it sighed happily, gaining some more energy. "What did that just do?" Ash asked.

"That was Roost! A move that can heal the user during in battle!" Cilan answered. Trip gritted his teeth, knowing what that meant. "This means that it's going to be a long battle!" Trip grunted.

"Now, Tranquill! Use Gust!" Takeru called. Gust was blown, blowing the Floating Pokémon away. "No, Frillish!" Trip grunted. "Now, Tranquill! Air Cutter, go!" Takeru shouted out.

"Use Protect, Frillish!" Trip called. A barrier formed around Frillish, repelling Air Cutter, as Takeru narrowed his eyes. "Rapid fire Air Cutter, go!" Takeru yelled.

More and more Air Cutter attacks flew to Frillish, breaking Protect, and smashing into him! "Hang in there, Frillish! I know that you can still battle! Water Pulse, now!" Trip yelled.

Frillish glared back, shooting a Water Pulse, as the Nuvema boy took his time. "Tranquill, Gust!" Takeru called. As Gust was blown, Water Pulse was cancelled out. Trip gritted his teeth at that.

"Every move that Trip is making is proving to be useless!" Iris stated. "The counterattacks that Tranquill is making are high and tough, alright. A rough taste of flavor!" Cilan added up.

"Now! Use Aerial Ace!" Takeru yelled. Iris widened her eyes at that. "What!? But Aerial Ace will be disabled by Cursed Body!" Iris shrieked. But, to everyone's surprise, Tranquill passed Frillish, instead of hitting him!

"What are you doing!?" Trip snapped. "That was only a distraction! Gust, Tranquill!" Takeru called. Gust blew again as Frillish took more damage. "Argh! Night Shade, let's go!" Trip called.

Night Shade shocked the evolved Flying Type as Trip quickly called out the next attack. "Now! Use Water Pulse!" Trip shouted. Water Pulse was launched, trapping Tranquill inside.

"Stay strong, Tranquill! Use Aerial Ace to wrap this up!" Takeru yelled. After being released by Water Pulse, Tranquill charged at Frillish, slashing him away! Cursed Body took its effect, disabling Aerial Ace.

"Quick, Frillish! Use Water Pulse!" Trip called. Before Frillish could faint, Water Pulse was launched, blasting the Wild Pigeon Pokémon to the ground. As the dust cleared, both Pokémon were shown to have lost.

"Both Pokémon are unable to battle! Neither of them are able to continue!" Don George declared, much to the two battler's surprise.

**Trip: 1 Pokémon**

**Takeru: 2 Pokémon**

"That leaves Trip with only one Pokémon, while Takeru has two!" Cilan stated. "One more win and Takeru wins it all!" Ash called out. "Pikachu!" Pikachu exclaimed.

Both boys returned their Pokémon, as they both glanced at each other. "You're even tougher than I thought you'd be. Well then, let's see if you can defeat my Servine!" Trip called.

The evolved Grass starter appeared, facing Takeru and Riolu. "You asked for this! Tepig, I need you again!" Takeru called out. Tepig appeared, facing his evolved opponent, with Trip unfazed.

"Yes! A Fire Type like Tepig should win against a Grass Type like Servine!" Ash exclaimed. "Servine! Use Cut, go!" Trip called. "Tepig, use Flame Charge!" Takeru shouted.

Both starters charged at each other, slamming together as they both skidded back to their trainers. "Now, Servine! Use Cut!" Trip called. Servine slashed Tepig multiple times as Tepig yelped in pain.

"Quick, Tepig! Counter with Rollout!" Takeru yelled. Tepig began to roll fast, slamming into Servine multiple times. "Oh no!" Trip yelled. "Of course! Rollout gets stronger the more times it's used!" Cilan stated.

Servine yelled in pain as he was sent to the ground. "Servine! Don't give in! Use Leaf Tornado!" Trip called. The Fire Pig Pokémon yelled as he was pulled into the Leaf Tornado by Servine.

"Tepig! Flame Charge, quick!" Takeru called. Tepig nodded and began to spin around with Flame Charge. Fire turned Leaf Tornado into a Fire Tornado! "What the!?" Trip gasped.

"Do it, Tepig! Flamethrower!" Takeru called. Fire breathed out of Tepig's mouth as Servine took the direct hit. "Servine! Get up, and use Cut!" Trip called. Servine managed to recover, before slashing Tepig again.

"Now! Use Tackle, Servine!" Trip yelled. This time, Tackle bashed Tepig away into a wall, as the Fire Type gritted his teeth. "Stay strong, Tepig!" Takeru called. Tepig nodded and struggled to get up.

"Now! Use Leaf Tornado once more!" Trip yelled. Leaf Tornado surrounded Tepig as he was smashed to the ground. "Oh no, Tepig!" Takeru gasped. The dust cleared, showing that Tepig was unable to battle.

"Tepig is unable to battle! So, the winner is Servine!" Don George declared. Takeru narrowed his eyes, before returning the Fire Pig Pokémon in thanks as he smiled.

"Thanks for the hard work, Tepig. It won't be wasted!" Takeru assured.

**Takeru: 1 Pokémon**

The Nuvema boy knelt down to his Fighting Type with a smile. "Riolu, are you ready to wrap things up?" Takeru asked. _"It would be my pleasure, big bro!"_ Riolu replied with a determined nod.

He ran to the battlefield, facing Servine, who looked a little tired. "Finally. We're going against Riolu!" Trip smirked, as Servine got ready. "Servine! Leaf Tornado, let's go!" Trip called.

The Grass Type unleashed another Leaf Tornado as Takeru called his counterattack. "Dodge with Dig, Riolu!" Takeru called out. The Emanation Pokémon dug underground, evading Leaf Tornado.

"Now where did he go!?" Trip snapped. To his answer, Riolu leapt up, right in front of the Grass Type, much to the two's surprise. "Alright! Use Blaze Kick, close range!" Takeru yelled.

Blaze Kick did its work, slamming Servine away, causing it to skid away towards Trip. "You can do it, Servine! Use Cut!" Trip yelled. "And, we'll use Blaze Kick!" Takeru pointed out.

The two Pokémon slashed and slammed against each other, both waiting to see who had won and who had lost. After for a brief moment, Servine groaned as he fell to the ground, fainted.

"No, Servine!" Trip gasped. "Servine is unable to battle! Riolu is the winner! Which means, the victor is Takeru!" Don George declared. Riolu let out a cheer of victory, punching his fist in the air.

**Winner: Takeru**

"We did it, Riolu! Our first rival battle is done!" Takeru exclaimed. Riolu barked happily as he hugged his human brother, as the Nuvema boy hugged him back. Trip returned Servine with a sigh.

He looked up at his childhood friend with a small smile. "Looks like I've got more ways to go in order to defeat Alder..." Trip sighed as he began to leave. The two boys noticed it as Ash made his words.

"Hey, Trip! Let's battle again someday!" Ash called. Takeru and Riolu ran up to the Kanto trainer as the Nuvema rival smirked. "Maybe. I'll be probably expecting more from Takeru than you." Trip smirked.

Takeru laughed nervously as Ash yelped in shock. "What!?" Ash snapped. Trip turned to Don George and bowed in thanks. He then left, giving his childhood friend a small glance.

"I'll see you later, Takeru. Just be strong when we battle again." Trip reminded. Takeru smiled with a nod. "Expect that the battle will be more harder than this one." Takeru reminded.

The Nuvema rival gave a small wave as he left the Battle Club. Ash grinned back as he turned to Takeru. "Hey, Takeru..." Ash started. The Nuvema boy turned, startled. "Yeah?" Takeru asked.

Suddenly, the Kanto trainer got into his face, his eyes shining. "I really like to know on how you battle with that strategy of yours! Come on, please?" Ash asked. Both Riolu and Takeru blinked in surprise.

They looked at each other, before they both shook their heads. "Sorry, Ash. But, no way." _"Think of it yourself!"_ Takeru and Riolu replied. "Why not!?" "Pika?!" Ash and Pikachu yelped.

The Nuvema boy opened his eyes, before explaining. "If I were to tell you, it would make it more easier for Trip to know, since he saw my battle strategies. So, no." Takeru replied.

"Aw man... Come on, Takeru!" Ash pleaded. Both he and Pikachu held onto his ankles, much to his shock. "Wh-What the... What are you... Let go!" Takeru shouted.

"No way! Not until you tell us how to make better strategies!?" Ash demanded. "Pikachu!" Pikachu pleaded along. Both Cilan and Iris laughed nervously as they both sweat dropped from their actions.

And so, Takeru managed to defeat his childhood friend and rival, Trip, in their first battle together! How will other things get in their way? Stay tuned for some more adventurous actions!

To be continued...

**Takeru's Team:**

**Riolu: (M): (Force Palm, Blaze Kick, ThunderPunch, Dig)**

**Joltik: (M): (Electro Ball, Signal Beam, String Shot, Electroweb)**

**Tranquill: (M): (Air Cutter, Gust, Aerial Ace, Roost)**

**Tepig: (M): (Flamethrower, Smog, Flame Charge, Rollout)**

Next chapters:

**Chapter 21: The Rock Shell to Settle!**

**Chapter 22: To Retrieve the Shell!**

**Chapter 23: The Trubbish and the Kids!**

**Chapter 24: To Retreive the Shell!**

**Chapter 25: Time to Clean Up, Minccino!**

**Next chapter preview:**

Iris: Wow! That Dwebble over there is making a house of its own, with its shell!

Takeru: Looks that way... Wh... Those three!? Why those pesky little... They stole that Dwebble's house!

Cilan: Oh no! Pansage! He took a direct hit from that Dwebble's attack!

Ash: Wait, Dwebble! We only want to help you get your house back!

Iris: I have something that might get Pansage back in shape, Cilan.

Takeru: Well, whatever it is, it should help... Otherwise, it could get worse.


	21. The Rock Shell to Settle!

**Chapter 21: The Rock Shell to Settle!**

"Now, if I take some of my homemade potato salad, and add some freshly cracked pepper... HA! Perfectly seasoned and spicy!" Cilan exclaimed as he laid the potato salad on a fresh bread to make sandwiches.

"Next, we spread it on homemade bread!... And, add some fruit slices... And it hits the potato salad combined with the tanginess of the fruit, that makes it-" Cilan continued.

"Yummy!" Iris exclaimed, taking the sandwich as she bit on it happily. The Connoisseur blinked in surprise before smiling nervously. "Ha ha... You took the words right out of my mouth!" Cilan chuckled.

"It's delicious, you know, Cilan?" Iris asked. "Um... Don't you want me to cut that?" Cilan asked, a little concerned. "It's okay! I like it like this!" Iris giggled, as she took another bite.

At the table, Ash groaned as his stomach rumbled. Takeru was reading a small book of his about Unova legends. "Sorry for the delay!" Cilan called, placing two plates of sliced sandwiches.

Ash immediately got his hand on his sandwiches as he grinned. "Oh wow! Thanks a lot!" Ash thanked as he took a big bite out of his sandwich. Cilan chuckled with a smile, seeing Ash happy about the food.

But, as the Connoisseur turned, the Nuvema boy wasn't touching his food at all! "Takeru? Lunch is served!" Cilan reminded. The Nuvema boy blinked in surprise before he flipped the book.

"Oh... Sorry, Cilan. I was just reading over Unova history and legends and stuff..." Takeru apologized before he took a sliced sandwich and took a small bite.

"Man! You make the best sandwiches in the whole, wide world, Cilan!" Ash complimented, still with his mouth stuffed. "But, of course!" Cilan chuckled, making up his point.

"So, Pikachu! What do you think of Cilan's cooking?" Ash asked. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu exclaimed. "And you, Riolu?" Takeru asked, looking at his Emanation Pokémon, who was munching up his food.

_"It tastes great as always!"_ Riolu exclaimed as he took several more bites of his Pokémon food. "Ax Axew!" Axew agreed. Iris walked over and giggled, seeing Axew's enjoyment of the food, too.

"Axew feels the same way as well!" Iris giggled. Just as the three little Pokémon were eating, the Tusk Pokémon seemed to have heard something as he raised his head up, hearing something.

Pikachu and Riolu looked at the Dragon Type in confusion as Axew jumped off the table and walked, following of what he was hearing. "Axew! Wait up! Where are you going!?" Iris asked.

Pikachu and Riolu followed their friend as the four trainers followed along. Axew peeked into something behind the rock, until he was pulled by Pikachu. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu scolded.

"Axew Axew!" Axew retorted, glaring at the Electric Type. _"You should've told us where you were going!"_ Riolu snorted, turning his head away. "Ax! Axew!" Axew cried out, pointing at what he saw.

That got both Pikachu and Riolu's attention as they all looked to see of what was going on. What Axew saw, was a little Pokémon! It seemed to be crafting something, like a home of some sort.

The little Pokémon looked like a hermit crab out of a shell, as it looked around at the shell, tapping on it to see if it was hard enough or not. The four trainers arrived as Ash asked his Electric Type.

"Pikachu? What's going on?" Ash asked. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu called out, pointing at the hermit crab looking Pokémon. "Is that... a Dwebble?" Takeru asked, narrowing his eyes to see closer.

"Of course! It IS a Dwebble! Although, of course, it's strange to see one without a rock on its back." Cilan pointed out. Ash took out his Pokédex, scanning the Bug-Rock Type.

"So, it's supposed to have a rock on its back?" Ash asked. _"Dwebble, the Rock Inn Pokémon. After finding a suitable rock, Dwebble digs a hole in the rock's bottom to use as a protective shell."_ Ash's Pokédex buzzed.

"If that's true, then we're about to see a rare occurrence! What luck!" Cilan chuckled. Everyone looked to see the Dwebble moving the rock to another side as it looked at the other parts of the shell.

It then began to carve its shell, as Ash stood up, excited. "Wow! You were right!" Ash exclaimed. Immediately, the Nuvema boy pulled him down before Iris could.

"Keep it down! If Dwebble realizes that we're watching it, it'll try to scurry away!" Takeru reminded. "Oh... Right..." Ash laughed nervously as he settled back down, sweat dropping at his stupidity.

Pikachu, Axew, and Riolu smirked at Ash's reckless thing with Takeru's warning as they all watched the crafting again. "And soon, that shell will become its home!" Cilan explained.

"So, Dwebble builds its own house! Awesome!" Ash exclaimed. "Pika..." Pikachu agreed. "Looks to me that Dwebble is pretty persistent if you ask me." Takeru chuckled, rubbing the back of his head.

_"You mean... He's persistent to make his own home?"_ Riolu asked. "Right..." Takeru smiled with a nod as he rubbed Riolu's head.

**(Pokémon: BW Best Wishes Opening: Be An Arrow! (English Subbed))**

(Ash, Takeru, Cilan, and Iris are running with Pikachu, Riolu, Pansage, and Axew, with colorful arrows flying above them as they ran to a light!)

**_One swiftly running arrow!_**

(A blue pillar and orange pillar appears, showing Ash and Pikachu, with Takeru and Riolu)

_**One supple arrow!**_

(A purple pillar appears, showing Iris and Axew)

_**One thinking arrow!**_

(A yellow green pillar appears, showing Cilan)

_**That's us now!**_

(Ash, Takeru, Cilan, and Iris stand together as they move towards the air together)

**_Cross the green mountain, remove the white clouds_**

(The Japanese opening appears)

_**Let's colorfully push through the wilderness, become an arrow!**_

(A group of wild Pokémon from the five regions run or fly along)

_**Even if we suddenly turn around, twist, and shake**_

(Ash, Cilan, Takeru, and Iris are running alongside with the Water Type Pokémon on the sea)

(Meloetta suddenly appears, snatching Ash's hat from his head)

_**There's no way that we'll get separated!**_

(In Prof. Oak's laboratory, all of Ash's Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh were there; Charizard gives a thumbs up to the screen)

_**Sometimes I can no longer see the road, and don't know where to go**_

(Ash and Takeru were stopped by giant pillars, blocking their way)

_**But you will always be by my side!**_

(Pikachu and Riolu appears, with Pikachu using Thunderbolt, while Riolu uses Aura Sphere)

(Both trainers and Pokémon smile happily at each other)

_**Even the bright sun is hidden by the clouds sometimes**_

(Keldeo, Cobalion, Virizion, and Terrakion stands together on top of an ice)

(Kyurem appears, turning into either Black or White Kyurem)

_**But meetings will always bring light!**_

(Cynthia and Alder smile at the four trainers standing at the bottom)

(Hikaru and Dawn comes by, with Infernape using Flamethrower, as Piplup uses Hydro Pump)

(Jessie, James, and Meowth let out evil smirks)

_**One too hot arrow!**_

(Stephan and Sawk pose together, standing together)

_**Two competitive arrows!**_

(Trip and Servine appears together after the dust clears)

_**Three helpful arrows!**_

(Bianca comes by with Pignite, as the two fall together)

_**So the heart will never break!**_

(Trip, Dawn, Hikaru, Iris, Ash, Takeru, Cilan, Bianca, and Stephan stand together with their Pokémon partners)

_**Aim forward as an arrow!**_

(Everyone shoots in the air, towards the sky)

_**Shine greater than even now as an arrow!**_  
_**Thrust toward your dream!**_

(Everyone combines together, creating a huge arrow, shooting towards the building)

(Takeru, Ash, Cilan, and Iris all stand together with all of their current Pokémon)

(Ash: Pikachu, Oshawott, Snivy, Tepig, and Pidove)  
(Takeru: Riolu, Tranquill, Tepig, and Joltik)  
(Iris: Axew and Excadrill)  
(Cilan: Pansage and Dwebble)

**(Opening ends)**

As the group watched the wild Dwebble making his own home, it seemed to be shooting liquid from its mouth. "Something is coming out of Dwebble's mouth!" Iris pointed out.

_"Dwebble can make rocks easier to carve by producing a liquid from its mouth." _Ash's Pokédex buzzed. With that information, both Ash and Iris understood the reason for the liquid.

"That liquid must be used in order to make the rock carve perfectly... Huh..." Takeru replied, thinking it over. "How amazing is that!?" Ash exclaimed. "Pika!" "Axew ew!" _"It IS amazing!"_ The three Pokémon agreed.

As little time passed, the rock began to grow smaller, looking more like a Dwebble home. "It sure looks like hard work!" Iris guessed. "Well, since the shell protects Dwebble, they have to do a really good job!" Cilan explained.

Just then, everyone saw that Dwebble was trying to get into his shell. "Looks like Dwebble is all done... not." Takeru started, then sighed, seeing that the Bug-Rock Type not finished.

"Why didn't Dwebble stay inside?" Iris asked. "It's probably not satisfied just yet." Cilan guessed. As a few seconds passed, Dwebble was back in its shell, testing it out again.

"Looks like a perfect fit again!" Ash exclaimed. "And this time, it's a perfect fit this time!" Cilan pointed out, chuckling. As Dwebble danced around, happy with its shell, Iris couldn't stand squealing.

"He looks just like a moving cream puff! He's so cute!" Iris squealed. "Axew ew ew!" Axew agreed. Suddenly, as both Takeru and Riolu noticed, the rocky ground started to shake!

Three more Dwebble shells appeared, only to look darker with the middle one having the largest shell. "Whoa... Looks like the Dwebble has got company..." Takeru pointed out.

"Maybe they're friends!" Iris guessed. But, as the Nuvema boy watched, he frowned, shaking his head. "I don't think so... Look what's happening!" Takeru replied, pointing at the confrontation.

As the four trainers looked, the big Dwebble called to the other two, sounding like he was telling them to attack! The two Dwebble henchmen bashed the little one away, causing him to tumble.

"What's that all about!?" Ash snapped. As the group saw, Dwebble got up, facing the three Rock Inn Pokémon. The two henchmen used Slash! But, the little one used Protect, blocking the two Slash attacks.

"I wonder what those two are attacking Dwebble for!" Ash replied, frowning. "I think that big one wants to steal something from Dwebble... Like, taking its home!" Takeru guessed.

"Why would the big one do that?" Ash gasped, seeing the fight going on. The little Dwebble got out of his shell from Protect, and began using his Slash attack!

But, the two henchmen saw it coming as they used Double Protect, as the bigger one bashed the little one away with its tough shell! The little Dwebble tumbled on the ground, groaning.

The big one sneered as he snatched the little Dwebble's home shell, putting it on top of his shells! The two henchmen sprayed the corrosive liquid on it, sticking it on their boss.

The little Bug-Rock Type Pokémon gasped, at seeing his home being stolen by the big bully. "Hey! That's the house that Dwebble had just made!" Iris exclaimed.

"And those three pesky ones stole it without warning!" Takeru grunted, glaring at the sneering bullies. "And three isn't one isn't fair!" "Pika Pika!" Ash and Pikachu called out.

The Kanto trainer got up, glaring at the three. "Knock it off, you three!" Ash demanded. The four Dwebbles noticed the four trainers as the three bullies used Dig to escape the confrontation.

The little Rock Inn Pokémon glared at the thieves as he tried to follow them by burrowing underground. "You go and get your house back!" Ash called to the little one. Cilan took out a Pokéball to help Dwebble.

"Now, Pansage! Come on out!" Cilan called, summoning his Grass Type partner. "Pansage, I want you to use Dig and go help Dwebble!" Cilan explained. Pansage nodded as it burrowed underground as well.

"Riolu, I want you to help along as well." Takeru explained. "Alright, big brother." Riolu replied, as he dug underground with his Ground Type move as well.

Later, Pansage and Riolu came back, startling the others. "Alright then. What happened, Pansage?" Cilan asked. "Pansage Pansage Pan." Pansage explained as he looked at the ground besides him.

Everyone looked to see the same little Dwebble coming from underground as it panted, seeming like it was exhausted after the hard chase it had with the bullies that took his home.

"That's the first Dwebble!" Iris pointed out. "True... But this one is still missing its home rock!" Takeru reminded, sighing. He just knew that the bullies have gotten away with the little one's home.

Cilan stepped up to the Dwebble as he smiled, offering a hand. "We saw everything! Sorry about your house!" Cilan apologized. But, immediately after the Bug-Rock Type spotted Cilan, it gasped.

Dwebble yelled in fright as it ran off, trying to escape from the humans and other Pokémon. That caused the Connoisseur to be confused as he stood back up, watching the Dwebble scurry away.

"Where's Dwebble going?" Iris asked. "Hey! Slow down!" Ash called as the four ran after the Pokémon. Dwebble scurried faster, seeing the ones pursuing him. Iris leapt on the rocks to get ahead of the Pokémon.

She landed on the ground, much to the Rock Inn Pokémon's shock. "Come on, now... You don't have to be afraid of us!" Iris assured. But still, Dwebble panicked as it tried to escape again!

But, it was blocked by the three boys and their Pokémon. "Just relax, Dwebble!" Ash called out. "We're not here to hurt you." Cilan assured, trying to calm the Bug-Rock Type Pokémon.

_"You can calm down now. We're here to help you out!"_ Riolu called out, walking to the frightened Pokémon to comfort it. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu called out, also trying to calm Dwebble.

But, it still didn't listen as it tried to use Slash! Pikachu managed to dodge the attack, but a few rocks was headed straight for Riolu and Pansage!_ "Ahhh!"_ Riolu screamed as he was hit on the head.

Pansage yelled in shock as he was hit by the rocks as well. "NO! Riolu!" Takeru gasped. "Oh no, Pansage!" Cilan gasped along. Even Dwebble was shocked to see that he had harmed TWO Pokémon.

Both Takeru and Cilan ran to their injured Pokémon. "Are you alright, Riolu!?" "Pansage, are you alright?" The two boys asked as the Nuvema boy held his Riolu as the Fighting Type whimpered.

_"Ow... That really hurt..."_ Riolu whimpered, cuddling onto his human brother's chest. "Shh... It'll be fine now..." Takeru whispered. Dwebble bowed down in apology several times, feeling sorry for the two little Pokémon.

Later, both Takeru and Cilan sprayed Potions on both Riolu and Pansage's wound as Iris inspected it. "It doesn't look so serious!" Iris assured. "I guess... But, it was still uncalled for..." Takeru reminded, frowning.

Dwebble again bowed its head down several times, apologizing for what he did to his fellow Pokémon. "Pansage Pan!" Pansage assured. _"It's okay..."_ Riolu quietly assured along, still whimpering a little.

"We all know that you didn't mean to hurt anyone, of course!" Ash replied, smiling. "You were pretty startled about us and upset that your home was stolen by those three, right?" Takeru asked.

Dwebble sadly looked up as Iris had another plan. "I know! Why don't you make another home?" Iris asked. With that suggestion, the Rock Inn Pokémon shook his head, refusing to go along with the idea.

"So, you want that home back..." Iris replied, getting it. "Dweb..." Dwebble replied with a sad nod. "Well, he must've done a lot of work to make his home... And even if Dwebble made another home, wouldn't it be stolen again?" Takeru asked.

"Oh yeah... Right..." Iris replied, getting the point. "It obviously means the world to Dwebble!" Cilan pointed out. "Sure! You can't just give up and walk away!" Ash agreed, grinning.

He then looked down at the Rock-Bug Type as he made his suggestion. "I know what! We'll help you get it back!" Ash suggested. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu agreed with a helpful smile.

Again, Dwebble refused, not wanting the help, since it got them into this mess. It dug underground as the others blinked in surprise. "Wait, Dwebble!" Ash called out. Cilan frowned and looked at the others.

"No matter. I say we find those thieves!" Cilan called out. Ash, Takeru, and Iris all agreed as the group stood up. They all then began looking around. "Pidove, I choose you!" Ash called.

"Tranquill, I need your help!" Takeru called. The two boys summoned their Flying Types in order for them to help out in the search.

**That evening...**

It's been hours as the group was looking around for the three thieves as both Pidove and Tranquill returned. "Thanks, you two. So, did you find those three thieves?" Takeru asked.

Sadly, the two Flying Types shook their heads, disappointed that they were left empty-handed. Even as both Pansage and Riolu popped out from underground, the two shook their heads.

_"We couldn't find them anywhere, big bro..."_ Riolu sighed sadly. "I see..." Takeru sighed, as he rubbed the back of his head. "Where could have those three have gone?" Iris asked, confused.

Just as she asked, the same little Dwebble appeared, blinking to see its new friends again. It sighed, disappointed with his result of the search as well. "Empty-handed, huh..." Takeru muttered.

Cilan looked at the orange sky as he made a suggestion to the group. "It's late. Why don't we have a nice dinner now?" Cilan suggested. "I suppose that wouldn't be so bad..." Takeru admitted.

Pansage, Riolu, Pikachu, and Axew cheered at that suggestion as the Connoisseur turned to the Rock Inn Pokémon. "You too, Dwebble." Cilan pointed out. Dwebble blinked in surprise at the invitation.

It cocked its head, feeling confused of what the humans were going to do.

Later, the fire was set, warming up the group for the night as everyone were eating their supper, as the Pokémon were eating their Pokémon food. Even Dwebble seemed to have joined in.

"Well, what do you think, Dwebble? Doesn't Cilan make some awesome Pokémon food?" Ash asked, smiling. Dwebble nodded happily as it munched more of his food.

But, as he was enjoying it, both Riolu and Pansage seemed to be not feeling well. The two were looking red as they fell on their back to the ground, not being able to sit or stand well.

"What... Riolu, what happened!?" "Pansage, what's wrong!?" Takeru and Cilan called out to their Pokémon partners. The Nuvema boy held his little Fighting Type brother as Cilan held Pansage.

Cilan felt Pansage and Riolu's forehead as he frowned. "Oh no... Both you and Riolu are burning up!" Cilan answered. "No... Could it be when those two rocks hit them?" Takeru replied, nervous for Riolu.

_"Big brother... I'm not... feeling so good..."_ Riolu moaned, placing his head on his human brother's chest. "Stay strong, Riolu... Just hold on!" Takeru called out. Dwebble blinked sadly, feeling guilty of what he did.

"I'm afraid that we don't have any more Potions..." Cilan replied, frowning. "Then what are we supposed to do!? We can't just sit here and do nothing!" Takeru snapped, startling Cilan a bit.

"Calm down! You can just leave it to me!" Iris assured. The three boys and all the Pokémon except Axew looked at the wild girl in confusion.

"I know every herbal remedies there is! We just saw some herbs out here that can reduce fever! Didn't we, Axew?" Iris explained. Axew nodded happily as the two ran to the spot where they saw the herbs.

Later, the wild girl was mixing the herbs, creating it into some kind of herb medicine. The two trainers kept their watch on Riolu and Pansage as Ash and Pikachu watched, feeling concerned.

"All done! Here, Pansage! Open up!" Iris called, spoon feeding Pansage the medicine. Pansage weakly opened his eyes, before gulping up the medicine from Iris as she smiled with a nod.

"That's it! It might be a little bitter..." Iris reminded. She then turned to Riolu, who was moaning. "Your turn, Riolu. Open up!" Iris called. Riolu DID open his eyes, but he didn't accept the medicine!

He whimpered, turning away from Iris. That left both Iris and Takeru surprised. "Huh? But, Riolu... You really need to take your medicine!" Iris reminded. The Nuvema boy frowned, before turning to her.

"Let me give it to him, Iris." Takeru requested. Iris grew a little hesitant, before agreeing as she gave the spoon with medicine to her friend. Takeru then soothed his little Pokémon brother.

"Riolu... Here, this will make you feel better." Takeru called out. Finally, the Emanation Pokémon turned, tasting the medicine before frowning as he swallowed it. _"Ugh! It's... bitter!"_ Riolu yelped weakly.

"That's how medicines are. They can be bitter, but you have to swallow it for you to be better." Takeru assured, rubbing the Fighting Type's head. _"Alright, big bro..."_ Riolu yawned, falling asleep in Takeru's arms.

"Wow... Riolu must really trust you a lot!" Iris exclaimed. "I told you, Riolu and I are like brothers together... Ever since the day I first met and took care of him." Takeru reminded, smiling.

Iris nodded in acceptance as she got up, looking at both the sleeping Pokémon. "Some good night sleep will make Riolu and Pansage all better by morning!" Iris reminded the two.

"Thanks so much, Iris." Cilan thanked. Ash walked up and grinned. "That was awesome, Iris!" Ash complimented. Iris giggled and smiled, turning to her Kanto region friend.

"Thanks, Axew! You helped, too!" Ash thanked, chuckling. But, without the others noticing, Dwebble seemed to be very concerned for both Riolu and Pansage, unsure whether they'll be better or not.

Later, at night, everyone was sleeping as the Nuvema boy turned, seeing that Riolu was more close to him in his sleeping bag. He then heard something scurrying towards them as he glanced at who's coming.

It was Dwebble! It was carrying a thin, wet towel, as it placed it on Riolu's forehead, sighing. "Thanks, Dwebble. You really don't need to be that concerned, you know..." Takeru thanked.

Dwebble blinked in surprise as it adjusted Pansage's forehead with the towel. "By tomorrow, these two will be fine. That medicine of Iris should have done its work by now. All they need now is some good sleep." Takeru explained.

Dwebble sighed, still feeling sorry for Pansage and Riolu. It slept next to the two, also hoping that his new friends will be fine tomorrow morning.

And so, with the little Dwebble having his house stolen, it's starting to get much difficult with the group as both Pansage and Riolu were hit, causing them to get a fever. Will the group be able to get Dwebble's home back from the three thieves?

Stay tuned for some more actions!

To be continued...

**Takeru's Team:**

**Riolu: (M): (Force Palm, Blaze Kick, ThunderPunch, Dig)**

**Joltik: (M): (Electro Ball, Electroweb, String Shot, Signal Beam)**

**Pidove: (M): (Air Cutter, Gust, Quick Attack, Aerial Ace)**

**Tepig: (M): (Flamethrower, Smog, Flame Charge, Rollout)**

Next chapters:

**Chapter 22: To Retrieve the Shell!**

**Chapter 23: The Trubbish and the Kids!**

**Chapter 24: The Trubbish Squad Recruits!**

**Chapter 25: Time to Clean Up, Minccino!**

**Chapter 26: Minccino to Sweep Up!**

**Next chapter preview:**

Iris: This should be the perfect medicine for Pansage here...

Takeru: Well, what do you know! The medicine did the trick!

Cilan: Alright then! Our plan for a sneak attack is flawless for sure!

Takeru: Here they come... DO IT NOW!

Iris: Alright! Hey! Bully! You're the only one left, making it even now!

Ash: You can do it, Dwebble! I know that you can!


	22. To Retrieve the Shell!

**Chapter 22: To Retrieve the Shell!**

Last time on "Pokémon Unova Journey", the four trainers were having a lunch break in a rocky area, where lunch was being served. That was until, when Axew wandered off, seeing a new Pokémon.

Cilan deducted it as a Dwebble, who was making itself a new home with its shell. But, as soon as the Dwebble was done, three of the Dwebbles appeared, trying to attack the little one.

Once the little Dwebble was shaken off, the boss of the bullies stole his home, making it as his own as they escaped underground with the bullied one following after them, which it failed at.

It was startled to see Takeru and the others as he tried to attack them at first, but ended up injuring Pansage and Riolu, causing them to catch a high fever.

But, thanks to Iris, she was able to make a herbal medicine for the two, which seemed to be working, curing the two from their high fevers. But, that didn't stop the Rock Inn Pokémon from being concerned for the two.

It was morning, as both Riolu and Pansage were both jumping up and down happily. "Pan! Sage!" Pansage cheered happily, energized from the recovery yesterday. Riolu stretched in different ways, barking happily.

_"I feel great! Like a new fighter ready to battle!"_ Riolu called out happily, which only his human brother understood. Iris giggled, crouching down to the two Pokémon's level.

"I'm so happy that the two of you are feeling fine!" Iris giggled, rubbing Riolu's head, much to its embarrassment. _"Thank you, Iris..."_ "Pan Pansage!" Riolu and Pansage thanked together.

"And it's all thanks to the herbal remedies that you whipped up, Iris!" Cilan chuckled, crossing his arms with a smile. "Cilan's right!" Ash agreed. Dwebble scurried over, smiling at its two friends.

Axew then popped out of Iris' hair, cheering for the double recovery that they've made. "Axew's happy, too!" Iris giggled, seeing the cheering personality of her little Dragon Type.

"Dwebble was up all night watching the both of you, Pansage. Riolu!" Takeru explained, crouching down to their levels. "Pansage?" _"Did you really do that? Thanks!"_ Pansage and Riolu asked.

"Dwebble!" The Rock Inn Pokémon replied with a happy smile and a nod. "Alright then, Dwebble! Let's go get your home back!" Cilan called out. Dwebble nodded with a determined look and a grin.

Later, everyone got changed back into their traveling clothes as they prepared to face off against the three Dwebbles and the leader. Cilan had sent Pansage as Takeru sent Riolu.

The two Pokémon used Dig to follow and lure the three bullies into their trap for a battle. As the four trainers were waiting, the three actually came, sneering. Riolu and Pansage then dug out of the ground.

"Excellent work, Pansage!" "Thanks for your help, Riolu." Cilan and Takeru thanked. Suddenly, the three began to scurry off for their immediate escape! Axew began to run after the three.

"Don't let them get away!" Iris called out as she and the others ran after the four to join in the chase. At a rock valley, Axew looked around, trying to see where the three thieves had went.

What he didn't notice was that the three Dwebble thieves were right beside him, hiding underneath their shells! Riolu caught up, looking around. _"Where are they? I know that they went this way!"_ Riolu barked out.

Axew shrugged, sweat dropping. Just then, as the Dragon Type shrugged, the Emanation Pokémon closed his eyes, trying to sense the three with his Aura sensor. He focused and looked around.

As he looked behind Axew, he smirked. _"Found you, you sneaky thieves!"_ Riolu chuckled, opening his eyes as he got ready to attack. The two Dwebble henchmen panicked, seeing that they were easily found.

However, the leader sneered, revealing himself. "Good work, Riolu! Axew!" Ash complimented. The three blinked in surprise as they all turned to see the four trainers glaring at them.

"Alright! Listen up! You crooks give Dwebble his home back if you know what's good for you!" Takeru demanded. Dwebble nodded as he leapt up, to use Slash. The leader called to his two henchmen.

The little Rock Inn Pokémon managed to dodge the first Feint Attack from the first henchmen, but it got hit by the second Dwebble henchmen! The little one wailed as he slammed to the ground.

Everyone gasped, seeing their friend fall. "No, Dwebble!" _"Are you alright!?"_ Takeru and Riolu gasped. "Dwebble is outnumbered by three to one!" Iris reminded, frowning at the situation.

"Pikachu! Dwebble needs help!" "Try to give Dwebble some assistance, Riolu." The two boys called out. "Pika!" _"Okay."_ Pikachu and Riolu agreed as they ran to face the three to help.

But, they were blocked by Dwebble, who didn't want anyone to interfere. The little one glared at the three as Ash blinked in amazement, asking the Rock Inn Pokémon a simple question.

"Dwebble, do you really think you can get your home back all by yourself?" Ash asked. "Dwebble!" Dwebble replied, nodding. That caused the Kanto trainer to grin with a nod.

"Gotcha! You go, Dwebble!" "Pika Pika!" Ash and Pikachu cheered out. The leader only pointed at the little one as the first Dwebble henchmen flew in the air, aiming a Slash attack!

Dwebble attempted to counterattack with his Slash attack, only for it to backfire as the henchmen slashed him away into a boulder! "Uh oh... Without a rock on its back..." Cilan started.

"That leaves Dwebble defenseless!" Ash gasped. But then, the little Dwebble shot out of the dust, aiming another Slash attack at his opponent. But, this time, his attacked was countered with Protect!

The Slash attack rebounded, bouncing the little one back! The leader used this chance to smash his little opponent away with another Smack Down attack, knocking him out easily.

"Ah!" "No way..." Ash and Takeru gasped as the three thieves escaped underground, leaving the first Dwebble groaning in pain and in defeat.

Later, everyone went back to their plan, as the Nuvema boy crossed his arms with a frown. "Three against one is nearly impossible. Don't you not see that, after that attempt?" Takeru asked.

Dwebble pouted, feeling embarrassed for his second loss. "We need to just split them up..." Ash thought out loud, thinking it over. "At least let us help with that!" Iris reminded with a smile.

Cilan thought it over as he opened his eyes with a plan. "Let's see... I know! We'll use my Pokémon food!" Cilan suggested. The three young trainers agreed to that idea, seeing it more simpler for the little one.

So, the plan went into hand, as Cilan poured three bowls of Pokémon food for the three Dwebbles to eat and to take the bait. They all waited with Pansage, Riolu, and Pikachu holding onto the rope.

The three ropes were all connected to the three bowls, so that the one who eats the food can get separated from his teammate. Suddenly, the three thieves dug out, seeing the Pokémon food.

Takeru saw this chance, shouting out the signal. "Okay! Now's your chance!" Takeru shouted out. "Pika!" "Pan!" "Right!" Pikachu, Pansage, and Riolu agreed as they started running.

As each of them ran, the bowls that were tied around with the rope followed close, as the three separated from each other, each one going after them! Cilan turned to the Rock Type with a reminder.

"This way, you should be able to face them all one at a time!" Cilan explained. The first Dwebble nodded as he scurried off to make his sneak attack. Pikachu's lure brought the first one away from his teammates.

It happily began to eat, as the little Dwebble cried out! It aimed a Slash attack, as the henchman deflected it with its own Slash. Dwebble yelped as he was knocked back, being defenseless.

The first bully shot into the air, angry for the interruption as it aimed its Slash attack at its opponent. At that coming, Dwebble hopped back, dodging the attack. The others were seeing this in surprise.

"Dwebble is using the rocks!" Iris pointed out. "Of course... The rocks should be able to act as Dwebble's shield for the time being... He just needs to find the right rock to hide behind." Takeru explained.

"I've got to say... That Dwebble is one smart Pokémon!" Cilan admitted. Back to the first Dwebble, it faced his first opponent, as the thief sneered, thinking that it cornered its opponent.

It shot forward, creating an X looking attack. "Hey, that's X-Scissor!" Cilan pointed out. The Bug Type attack missed, but it caused a boulder to start falling! Iris widened her eyes at the strategy.

"Dwebble knew that the boulder might fall!" Iris pointed out. "Of course! That's what Dwebble wanted to happen!" Ash exclaimed. The boulder smashed the first little thief into the air.

It shrieked in pain and shock as the four trainers and their Pokémon partners cheered. "Yeah! Dwebble! Way to go!" "Now's your chance for an attack!" Ash and Takeru called out.

As the first thief landed on the ground, it suddenly noticed its little opponent striking with a double attack, using both Slash and X-Scissor! The first thief fainted, groaning with the attacks it took.

"Awesome!" Ash exclaimed. "I have to say! That Slash and X-Scissor create a huge spice in combination!" Cilan commented, seeing how powerful the direct attacks were at the opponent.

"Awesome! Let's keep on going!" Iris called out. Riolu was running off, carrying the bait as the second Dwebble thief chased after him. _"Here! Come and get it!"_ Riolu smirked, seeing his friend jumping up.

The first Dwebble smashed right in front of the second thief with a Slash attack, startling the opponent. As the little Rock Inn Pokémon landed on the ground, the second thief aimed a Smack Down attack.

But, it fell right into the little one's trap, as its shell was stuck between the two rocks! "This is your chance, Dwebble!" Takeru called out. The little one nodded as he slammed the second one with another X-Scissor attack.

The second Dwebble thief fainted, leaving the leader as the last one. "Yeah!" "Nice move!" The two boys complimented as the Kanto trainer and Dwebble cheered together for the second victory.

"Alright! Now the head of the Dwebble is the only one left!" Ash called out with a grin.

So, everyone walked over to the leader, seeing it devouring Cilan's Pokémon food as the Connoisseur pointed at the thief leader. "Alright, Dwebble! The time has come to get your house back!" Cilan pointed out.

Dwebble cried out with determination and agreement as the leader turned. He glanced over, seeing that his two henchmen had disappeared! Iris smirked, seeing the leader confused.

"In case you haven't noticed, you're all by yourself!" Iris reminded. "Now, be a good guy and give back Dwebble's home, right now!" Takeru demanded. Riolu glared at the leader, who narrowed his eyes.

"Alright then! Go for it, Dwebble!" Ash called out. The little Dwebble glared at the thief leader, as the opponent jumped up, aiming a Smack Down, which the little one dodged, much to the leader's surprise.

Dwebble bounced off a rock, aiming a Slash attack at the thief leader. The thief sneered, turning its back, showing the shell it had stolen before. Dwebble gasped, stopping his attack.

However, it left an opening for the leader to strike back! "Why did Dwebble stop attacking?" Ash asked, confused with the sudden pause. Cilan widened his eyes, seeing the reason.

"I get it! Dwebble doesn't want to damage its own home!" Cilan explained. "If that's the case... then it's going to be much harder for Dwebble to win this battle!" Takeru reminded, gritting his teeth.

The thief then struck with its Slash attack, only for Dwebble to dodge in mid-air! Then, the leader shot a glowing rock orb, smashing it at the little Rock Inn Pokémon! Cilan widened his eyes at that.

"That's Smack Down!" Cilan pointed out. The little one slammed to the ground, as it slowly got up, still ready to continue the fight. "Dwebble, are you okay?" Cilan asked, concerned.

The Rock Inn Pokémon nodded as Ash grinned at the answer. "Yes! You can't quit now, Dwebble!" Ash pointed out. "Keep it up, and fight to the end!" Takeru shouted out, glancing at the bully.

Pikachu, Axew, and Riolu cheered for their shell-less friend as the little one looked as if he was about to attack, but he suddenly changed directions heading under the rock hole.

The bully attempted to follow, but suddenly became stuck! The shells he had collected were too tall for him to fit through, giving the little one a chance to turn around and make his move.

So, the shell-less one leapt to the air, and slammed an X-Scissor attack at the bully, much to its surprise. "That X-Scissor worked great! Dwebble! Nice job!" Cilan complimented.

But, as soon as the dust cleared, the bully slammed a Slash attack at the little one, much to its shock. But, at that attack, it was able to counterattack, glowing with red cracks on his body.

The move worked, causing the Dwebble to be much stronger. "That move was Dwebble's Shell Smash!" Cilan pointed out. "What's Shell Smash?" Ash asked, amazed and confused with the new move.

"Shell Smash is a move that can lower the user's defense, while boosting their attack strength! Now our little friend here's attack will be much more powerful than before!" Takeru explained.

"You can do it, Dwebble!" Riolu cheered for his Rock Inn friend. Dwebble nodded with a grin as he shot forward with another X-Scissor attack smashing the bully's first shell, while releasing its home.

Now, this time, the bully was shell-less, making the two battlers equal. As the bully turned, it gasped, seeing that it was shell-less, just like his opponent. It made its escape, digging underground.

"Hey! That little thief got away!" Takeru pointed out, frowning. "Don't worry about it! The most important thing was, that Dwebble got his home back!" Iris assured, seeing Dwebble happy about its home retrieval.

Everyone ran over, happy with Dwebble's success. "You did it! Great job!" Iris complimented. "You got your house back!" Ash exclaimed. "And you got it yourself! You should be proud!" Cilan chuckled.

"I've got to say, that was a smart and a great battle you put up there!" Takeru complimented. Pansage flipped in the air with a happy expression, followed by Pikachu, Axew, and Riolu cheering for their Rock-Bug Type friend.

Dwebble nodded with a grin and a smile for his success as well, inspecting his house shell over and over again, seeing if it took little damage or not, or whether if it was dirty, causing the others to laugh.

Later, it was sunset as everyone was ready to head on back to the route. "Alright then, Dwebble! Time for us to move on!" Cilan explained. "See you soon, Dwebble! Take care!" Ash called out.

"Pika Pika!" _"Best wishes, Dwebble!"_ Pikachu and Riolu called out, waving to their Rock Inn friend. "And make sure you don't get your house stolen again!" Iris called out, giggling.

The four trainers began to leave, until they heard scurrying feet and a cry from the Rock Inn Pokémon. "Dwebble!" Dwebble cried, getting everyone's attention. Cilan walked over, smiling.

"Dwebble? What, is something wrong?" Cilan asked. Dwebble shook his head and made his explanation. Riolu whispered to his human brother, translating of what Dwebble wanted.

"Cilan, Dwebble is saying here that he wants to join you on the journey!" Takeru explained, smiling at his Connoisseur friend. "What? You do?" Cilan asked. Dwebble nodded at that response with a smile.

"I get it... Getting your home back yourself was heavy fair, and... worrying about both Pansage and Riolu was a delicate light! Fantastic! A perfect Pokémon for me! We're a good match!" Cilan declared, taking out a Pokeball.

Dwebble nodded and hit the button on the Pokeball, allowing it to suck it inside! As the ball fell to the ground, it shook a few times, before clicking, showing that Cilan had caught his new friend.

The Connoisseur held the Pokeball with a smile, inspecting it. "Hm... Such an exquisite taste! My Dwebble!" Cilan declared, showing a little pose for his new Pokémon and friend capture.

"Wow, Cilan! That's great!" Ash exclaimed. "I guess that puts you out of your Grass Type Gym Leader title... not to be offensive..." Takeru chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his head.

"It doesn't matter, Takeru. Gym Leader or not, I did catch a good friend of ours to accompany us on our quest!" Cilan reminded with a smile. He looked down at his Grass Type with a simple question.

"Pansage, what do you think of this?" Cilan asked. "Pan!" Pansage cheered with a nod. Even Axew cheered for their new friend, causing his trainer to giggle. "Yeah! It is great!" Iris agreed.

Ash grinned, turning to the sunset and the path behind them. "Yeah! Now, let's head to Nacrene City all together!" Ash suggested. "Pikachu!" Pikachu agreed. With that said, everyone returned to moving on the route.

With Dwebble now on Cilan's side, the journey becomes much more easier as the group heads onto Nacrene City for Ash and Takeru's second Gym badge! What will occur along the way?

Stay tuned for some more Pokémon actions!

To be continued...

**Takeru's Team:**

**Riolu: (M): (Force Palm, Blaze Kick, ThunderPunch, Dig)**

**Joltik: (M): (Electro Ball, Signal Beam, String Shot, Electroweb)**

**Tranquill: (M): (Air Cutter, Gust, Aerial Ace, Roost)**

**Tepig: (M): (Flamethrower, Smog, Flame Charge, Rollout)**

Next chapters:

**Chapter 23: The Trubbish and the Kids!**

**Chapter 24: The Trubbish Squad Recruits!**

**Chapter 25: Time to Clean Up, Minccino!**

**Chapter 26: Minccino to Sweep Up!**

**Chapter 27: The Nacrene Museum Haunted Rumors!?**

**Next chapter preview:**

Ash: Hey! Come on guys! Give me back my hat! Right now!

Daniella: Oh no... I'm so sorry... Those kids are seem to be creating a huge mess at the moment...

Takeru: They're with some kind of a Pokémon... Is it a Trubbish?

Daniella: Yes... And it seems to be causing trouble for my kindergarten class! Now the kids made some kind of mess fort!

Avery: No grown-ups allowed! Especially you, Miss Daniella!

Takeru: Huh... So, those little ones decided to do things the hard way, huh?


	23. The Trubbish and the Kids!

**Chapter 23: The Trubbish and the Kids!**

Right in a middle of the road, Takeru, Ash, Cilan, and Iris all stopped together for a break as they all planned of where they should go next. Cilan pointed at the route that could take them to Nacrene City.

Both Iris and Takeru followed along as Ash just watched along. As Cilan began to explain more, the four trainers turned, hearing a couple of kids' voices. There were five little kids coming to their way!

They were all riding on their tricycles, with one having a strange looking Pokémon on the wagon behind his tricycle. Ash blinked in surprise. "Whoa... Check it out!" Ash pointed out.

The Nuvema boy blinked as Riolu got onto his left shoulder. _"They look like they're having fun, big bro..."_ Riolu replied, turning to his human brother. "I can see that, but what are they doing?" Takeru asked, frowning.

Behind them, two women rushed after them, trying to catch up to them. "Everyone, please! Slow down!" The young woman pleaded, panting. "Hey, you all! Help us stop those kids, please!" The other woman called out.

But, before the group could do anything, the leader of the kids saw the four trainers, commanding his minions. "Enemies sighted! Prepare to attack!" The kid boss called out.

"Yes, sir!" The four other kids agreed. They all pulled out mud balls from their tricycle baskets as Takeru sweat dropped. "Oh boy... Guys, incoming!" Takeru warned, getting ready to dodge.

"Hold on! What do they mean, attack!?" Ash called out, confused and a little startled. Before either Iris or Cilan could answer, the five kids were already throwing their mud balls at the group!

"Mud bombs, ready! And... fire!" "Yes, sir!" The kids cried out. Mud balls were thrown at the four trainers as Ash, Cilan, and Pikachu were hit by the faces! Takeru, Iris, and Riolu all dodged the balls.

The Nuvema duo were at the grass, while Iris tried to balance on top of a wooden fence. The leader of the kids smirked, calling out happily in triumph. "Attack successful!" The leader cried.

The four other kids cheered as they all passed the trainers. But, along the way, the strange Pokémon scooped up Ash's hat, much to his shock. "Ah! Oh no! They've got my hat!" Ash exclaimed.

"Pika..." Pikachu mumbled, trying to get the mud off of his yellow face. Before anyone could recover from the sudden attack, the five kids and the strange Pokémon were already escaping.

**(Pokémon: BW Best Wishes Opening: Be An Arrow! (English Subbed))**

(Ash, Takeru, Cilan, and Iris are running with Pikachu, Riolu, Pansage, and Axew, with colorful arrows flying above them as they ran to a light!)

**_One swiftly running arrow!_**

(A blue pillar and orange pillar appears, showing Ash and Pikachu, with Takeru and Riolu)

_**One supple arrow!**_

(A purple pillar appears, showing Iris and Axew)

_**One thinking arrow!**_

(A yellow green pillar appears, showing Cilan)

_**That's us now!**_

(Ash, Takeru, Cilan, and Iris stand together as they move towards the air together)

**_Cross the green mountain, remove the white clouds_**

(The Japanese opening appears)

_**Let's colorfully push through the wilderness, become an arrow!**_

(A group of wild Pokémon from the five regions run or fly along)

_**Even if we suddenly turn around, twist, and shake**_

(Ash, Cilan, Takeru, and Iris are running alongside with the Water Type Pokémon on the sea)

(Meloetta suddenly appears, snatching Ash's hat from his head)

_**There's no way that we'll get separated!**_

(In Prof. Oak's laboratory, all of Ash's Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh were there; Charizard gives a thumbs up to the screen)

_**Sometimes I can no longer see the road, and don't know where to go**_

(Ash and Takeru were stopped by giant pillars, blocking their way)

_**But you will always be by my side!**_

(Pikachu and Riolu appears, with Pikachu using Thunderbolt, while Riolu uses Aura Sphere)

(Both trainers and Pokémon smile happily at each other)

_**Even the bright sun is hidden by the clouds sometimes**_

(Keldeo, Cobalion, Virizion, and Terrakion stands together on top of an ice)

(Kyurem appears, turning into either Black or White Kyurem)

_**But meetings will always bring light!**_

(Cynthia and Alder smile at the four trainers standing at the bottom)

(Hikaru and Dawn comes by, with Infernape using Flamethrower, as Piplup uses Hydro Pump)

(Jessie, James, and Meowth let out evil smirks)

_**One too hot arrow!**_

(Stephan and Sawk pose together, standing together)

_**Two competitive arrows!**_

(Trip and Servine appears together after the dust clears)

_**Three helpful arrows!**_

(Bianca comes by with Pignite, as the two fall together)

_**So the heart will never break!**_

(Trip, Dawn, Hikaru, Iris, Ash, Takeru, Cilan, Bianca, and Stephan stand together with their Pokémon partners)

_**Aim forward as an arrow!**_

(Everyone shoots in the air, towards the sky)

_**Shine greater than even now as an arrow!**_  
_**Thrust toward your dream!**_

(Everyone combines together, creating a huge arrow, shooting towards the building)

(Takeru, Ash, Cilan, and Iris all stand together with all of their current Pokémon)

(Ash: Pikachu, Oshawott, Snivy, Tepig, and Pidove)  
(Takeru: Riolu, Tranquill, Tepig, and Joltik)  
(Iris: Axew and Excadrill)  
(Cilan: Pansage and Dwebble)

**(Opening ends)**

Takeru and Iris got back on the route, as the girl glared at the retreating kids. "Argh. What's with those kids anyway!?" Iris snapped angrily. "Not exactly innocent pranksters..." Cilan coughed.

"Well... Pranksters is the right word, considering of what the trouble they made..." Takeru agreed. But to the Kanto trainer, he was more angry about his hat being taken away.

"Yeah! And I'm mad!" Ash admitted. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu agreed. Before the four could go after them, the two women panted, stopping right in front of them. "I'm so sorry!" The young one apologized.

The group turned to see the young woman explaining. "Those children are from my kindergarten class! Forgive them, please." The teacher explained, apologizing to the group.

Later, the two teachers have brought the four trainers into their kindergarten school, showing them around, as their apology about their troublemaking kids. Iris was quite amazed at most.

"Wow! Look at all these Pokémon Eggs!" Iris exclaimed. Indeed, inside the room, there were a bunch of Pokémon Eggs stored inside the glass container, as the inside kept them warm.

"Amazing... I didn't know you teachers had these kinds of Eggs with you!" Takeru admitted. Riolu blinked curiously at the Eggs, as he knocked on a glass to see if the Egg would respond.

_"This one doesn't seem to be hatching, big bro."_ Riolu complained, pointing at a dark egg. "I can see that, Riolu. Maybe it's not ready yet." Takeru guessed, crouching down to see the egg.

"The nourishing spirit I find here warms my heart!" Cilan explained, putting his hand over his chest. "Ha ha ha! You're standing in my daycare! The name's Karena. This is my granddaughter, Daniela!" Karena explained.

"Hello there. And this is the kindergarten class where I teach!" Daniela explained. "Hi! My name is Ash! And this is my partner, Pikachu!" Ash explained, also introducing his Electric Type.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu replied with a smile. "I'm Iris! Nice to meet you!" Iris explained. "My name is Takeru. And this is best friend, Riolu!" Takeru explained, rubbing his Fighting Type's head, much to Riolu's happiness.

"And I'm Cilan. A Pokémon Connoisseur!" Cilan explained, bowing down in a formal way. Daniela nodded, before going back to important subject. "I'm really sorry about what happened today." Daniela apologized.

"Could you explain to us what happened? And what were those kids doing riding away from you?" Takeru asked, feeling suspicious. Daniela nodded, and sighed as she began to explain.

"You see, the children in my class found a Trubbish, just yesterday. And they decided to bring it here!" Daniela explained. "Trubbish? So that's the Pokédex they had with them?" Ash asked.

He took a look in his Pokédex, searching for the Poison Type Pokémon. "Yes, and they found it in a junkyard, at the edge of town!" Daniela explained, recalling of the kids finding Trubbish.

_"Trubbish, the Trash Bag Pokémon. Trubbish prefer to live in dirty places like garbage dumps. It is said they were born when a chemical reaction occurred between an abandoned trash bag and industrial waste."_ Ash's Pokédex buzzed.

"It must like garbage!" Iris pointed out. Both Takeru and Ash sweat dropped as Ash scoffed angrily. "Yeah... But the thing is, my hat isn't garbage, you know!" Ash reminded sternly.

Cilan made a thought about the Trash Bag Pokémon. "Hmm... It's a Pokémon with quite a unique recipe!" Cilan stated, thinking it over. "Unique, yes. When I first saw Trubbish, I was anything but excited." Daniela admitted.

She had recalled the time when the kids brought Trubbish over yesterday, much to her shock and despair.

_Flashback_

_"Oh my... You brought that here!?" Daniela asked, surprised to see the Trash Bag Pokémon. She was just doing some errands around the school when the kids called her to tell her their news._

_Trubbish seemed excited and happy to see a new human that it could be friends with. But, the kindergarten teacher didn't seem impressed with the Poison Type Pokémon around her._

_"Yep!" "It was crying!" Two girls explained as Trubbish responded with a nod. "Hey, teacher? Can we keep Trubbish here with us?" A boy, who was the leader asked, smiling brightly._

_"Yeah! Can we? Please?" The second girl pleaded, clapping her hands together. Daniela sighed, knowing that she was going to cause a problem, but she knew that it must be done._

_"I'm afraid not." Daniela answered sternly. "W-Why not?" The second boy asked. "Because Trubbish here loves garbage. And we don't want garbage littering up our classroom now, can we?" Daniela answered._

_But, that made them more desperate to keep the Poison Type. "But we'll clean it up! Promise! Can we keep it? Pretty please?" The leader kid pleaded, trying to reason with his teacher._

_But, Daniela, as a teacher refused to have this way. "I said no! Now, take it back to the junkyard where you found it-" Daniela started, until the kids began arguing with her, refusing to do what she says._

_"No! We want to keep Trubbish!" The leader demanded. "We want to keep it! We want to keep it!" The children all shouted out together. The teacher started to get a little annoyed by this._

_"I already told you, no!" Daniela snapped. That caused Trubbish to be depressed as he shot a stinky gas from his mouth, and right into Daniela's face! It then started to spread, as she held her nose._

_"Ugh! That stinks! Was that Trubbish!? It smells horrible!" Daniela sputtered, not pleased with the stinky smell. Even the kids plugged their noses, but the leader resisted it, refusing to let Trubbish go._

_"Trubbish does NOT stink!" The leader snapped. "Trubbish does NOT stink!" The four other kids repeated together. Daniela frowned even more as she held Trubbish in her arms with her decision._

_"Well then, in that case, I'll have to take Trubbish back to the junkyard by myself!" Daniela exclaimed as she walked out of the schoolyard with the saddened Poison Type Pokémon._

_It was evening as Daniela placed the Trash Bag Pokémon back into the junkyard with a sad smile. "Please understand. I can't keep you in my kindergarten class." Daniela reminded._

_She then walked off, leaving Trubbish even more sad, as it let out a pleading noise, only to be ignored when the teacher was out of sight._

_Flashback End_

"Daniela brought Trubbish back to the junkyard where the kids first found it! But, we both woke up to see something that you wouldn't believe!" Karena sighed, explaining the conclusion.

The four trainers all blinked in confusion as Takeru made a guess. "Did they do something with Trubbish for trouble?" Takeru asked, narrowing his eyes. Daniela gave a sigh and a nod.

"You could say that..." Daniela answered. With that said, the two women led the four trainers outside to let them see what the kids and Trubbish had created! The group was shocked to see a mess of junk all over the schoolyard.

It nearly covered the whole schoolyard, blocking the way to a tree, where a treehouse was set... or, maybe a tree fort. "Pika..." _"Whoa... What in the world is this?"_ Pikachu and Riolu asked, stunned.

"Trust me... You should already know the answer. The new junkyard..." Takeru answered, sweat dropping. "What is that thing?" Ash asked. "You see, the children and Trubbish made this awful thing with the junk they found!" Daniela explained.

"It has the recipe of a Secret Base..." Cilan pointed out, causing the Kanto trainer to be amazed. "Whoa... A Secret Base? Man, those kids are good!" Ash exclaimed, as he was quite amazed.

"Ash, you're not supposed to be impressed! Sheesh! You know, you're a littler kid than they are..." Iris mumbled, causing the Kanto trainer to lose his smile. "Gee, thanks." Ash grumbled.

Takeru inspected the junk barrier, looking up and down. "This doesn't seem to be in balance... If one piece of junk were to be removed, then the whole thing might collapse..." Takeru guessed.

"That, I agree." Cilan agreed as he stepped besides his old friend. "I'd better do something quick!" Daniela replied, frowning at the junk barrier that surrounded the treehouse fort.

"Would you all mind help Daniela clean this whole mess up?" Karena asked. "No problem! We'll help clean this up!" Ash agreed. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu agreed, smiling with a nod.

"I'm in!" "Me, too!" Iris and Cilan added. "We'll all try to help as much as we can, Miss Daniela." Takeru assured as Riolu flexed his left arm, showing that he'll help along as well.

"That's so nice with all of you! Thank you all!" Daniela thanked. But, just as the group began to head for work, the tree fort entrance opened up, as everyone turned to see the leader of the kid coming out.

Soon, all the other kids followed, with Trubbish following after them! They all were wearing box armors, and a few of them had wooden swords for combat. Also, the leader of the kids was wearing Ash's hat!

"I suppose those kids are using your hat for the leader..." Takeru muttered, sweat dropping. Ash laughed nervously at that before the leader glared down at the group and the two teachers.

"Look, this is the Trubbish Squad Super Secret Base! And grown-ups aren't allowed to come inside!" The kid leader snapped. "Right! No grown-ups allowed!" The other kids agreed.

"Trubbish Squad Super Secret Base?" Iris repeated, confused by the name. "They're just playing games, of course." Cilan pointed out. "Of course... That's what all kindergarteners would do..." Takeru muttered.

_"It kinda looks fun if we were to be in there..."_ Riolu admitted, fidgeting with his paws a little. The Nuvema boy chuckled with a smile as he rubbed Riolu's head. "You know, you're too grown up for that, right?" Takeru reminded.

Riolu blushed, before sticking his tongue at his human brother. Ash just stared up at the kids before smiling. "Class! Come on! You need to stop with these silly games right now!" Daniela cried out.

But then, the Kanto trainer turned to the kindergarten teacher with a reassuring smile. "I know. Let me talk to them!" Ash suggested. Everyone looked at the Kanto trainer in surprise and confusion.

"I played games like this all the time! They were kind of fun! So, I kind of know what they're talking about!" Ash explained, recalling the time when he was just a young boy at their age.

Karena seemed to agree as she smiled. "Ash, that's a great idea!" Karena agreed. Daniela looked as if she was about to rethink, before her grandmother nodded to her, causing her to go along with it.

"Hold on, Ash. If these kids know any better, I'm sure they've set up traps for intruders like us to fall into. I think it would be best if the both of us go." Takeru explained, putting a hand on Ash's shoulder.

The Kanto trainer grinned and nodded. "Great! Thanks, Takeru. Riolu!" Ash thanked with a grin. The Nuvema duo nodded back as they both began to climb up the junk barrier.

"Be careful up there, you two!" Iris warned. "Don't worry about us, Iris. Just let us do our work!" Takeru grunted as he climbed onto the junk. _"You can count on us four!"_ Riolu added with a bark.

As the four climbed on top of a junk box, the leader gasped at the sight of the two boys coming. "Ah! Intruders alert! Alright then, Trubbish! Go! Attack!" The kid leader shouted.

Trubbish nodded and leapt into the air! Takeru immediately saw it coming as he tried to counterattack. "Tch. Send it right back with a Blaze Kick, Riolu!" Takeru shouted, pointing at Trubbish.

_"Okay! Here I come!"_ Riolu barked as he leapt, kicking Trubbish back into the fort. All the kids gasped to see their friend kicked back onto them. Ash and Pikachu soon noticed of what was going on.

"H-Hey, Takeru! What's going on?" Ash asked. "These kids are thinking of us as intruders. So, they're activating their traps, that's what." Takeru answered, feeling a bit serious in this situation.

Before the two could say another word, the leader kid glared at them, as the other kids grabbed a couple of mud balls. "Thanks, Trubbish... Alright, gang! Let's avenge Trubbish! Fire!" The leader called.

"Yes, sir!" The four kids called as they all threw their mud balls at the two boys. Riolu yelped as a mud ball nearly hit him, as the Nuvema boy grabbed him, putting him on his left shoulder.

"Argh... Not this again! Ash, Pikachu... Move!" Takeru called. "O-Okay..." Ash stuttered as he tried to guard himself from the mud. He then looked up at them, trying to convince them with words.

"Stop! We just want to talk to you guys- Gah!" Ash started, but stopped when a mud ball hit him on the face! The Nuvema duo sweat dropped, seeing that the Kanto trainer failed in convincing.

Before they knew it, the kids already had another trap for both Ash and Pikachu. "Watch the fan assault!" The leader shouted. "Right! Yes, sir!" The chubby one replied as he pressed on a button of a fan.

Takeru turned to see the fan activated. He then noticed that a rope was connected to the fan. The rope was being pulled at, pulling the large stick that's holding the box that the Kanto trainer was on top of on!

"Nuts! Ash! Pikachu! Get out of there, you two!" Takeru yelled. Riolu flailed his arms to try and warn them, but it was too late. The trap was set, as Ash and Pikachu slid down the junk and landed on the tire.

"Ah! Ugh..." Ash groaned, rubbing the back of his head. "So much for the move command..." Takeru grumbled, face palming. "Does this mean that the secret base infiltrating has failed?" Riolu asked, cocking his head.

"Well, for Ash, it did... But to us, I'm not so sure, little bro." Takeru answered as he looked back up. Two of the boys were pointing swords at him and Riolu, much to their startle and surprise.

Two of the girls and the leader was glaring at Ash and Pikachu as Trubbish was with them. "Don't move! And that includes you!" The leader demanded, glaring at both Ash and Takeru.

The Nuvema boy sweat dropped as he narrowed his eyes at the boys glaring at him. "What's going on over there? Ash? Takeru? What are the two of you doing over there?" Iris called out.

"Well, uh... They kind of got me and Pikachu trapped..." Ash stammered with the answering. "Pika..." Pikachu agreed with a nod. "Trapped!? Will the two of you pull yourself together!? What about Takeru and Riolu!?" Iris called out.

"We're fine, Iris. These pesky kids didn't do anything to us." Takeru answered as he glared at the startled kids. The leader looked at the two boys with a demanding and leader tone.

"The two prisoners will stay silent!" The leader demanded. Two girls shot squirt guns, squirting both Ash and Pikachu with water! The two boys dropped their wooden swords and squirted Takeru and Riolu with their guns as well!

The two boys and their Pokémon partner were splashed by water as the Nuvema boy glared at them, snatching their guns away, much to the two boys' shock. "Ah!" "Avery! He's got us!" The two boys yelped.

The leader, Avery, turned in surprise as Takeru held the two boys in the air, pulling on the back of their shirts. "Who are the prisoners now, kid?" Takeru asked, glaring at the leader, who gulped.

The two girls dropped their swords and squirt guns, raising their arms in the air. Trubbish did the same, not wanting to be attacked. Avery slowly did the same, raising both of his arms high in the air.

"Now, what's going on, you two?" Iris called out. "The tables have turned, Iris. Looks like this is going to take longer than we thought to convince them." Takeru called out, gesturing the kids to the fort.

The four kids scrambled up to the fort, with Trubbish following after them. "Oh... Okay?" Iris replied, feeling curious. Avery pouted before going back up the fort when Riolu squirted him with a squirt gun.

As all the kids were back at the fort, Takeru helped Ash up, as Riolu helped Pikachu up. "You okay, you two?" Takeru asked. "Yeah... Thanks for helping us, Takeru. Really." Ash thanked, grinning.

"Pika Pika." Pikachu agreed, rubbing the back of his head with a small blush. The Electric Type seemed quite embarrassed to be taken hostage by a group of kids and their Poison Type friend.

**Later...**

The two trainers followed the kids inside the fort as the Kanto trainer looked around. "Wow... I'm impressed. Cool!" Ash admitted. "Pika..." Pikachu admitted, also looking around.

Takeru blinked, before looking at the five kids, who all raised their arms high in the air, as Riolu pointed a squirt gun at them. _"Freeze, little kids!"_ Riolu playfully teased as Takeru chuckled.

"Tell us, you all. Did you all make this base all by yourselves?" Takeru asked. One girl answered the question. "Uh huh! With the whole lot of help from Trubbish!" The first girl answered with a smile.

Trubbish responded with a nod, before Avery glared at her. "Hey! You're not allowed to be friendly with the enemy!" Avery snapped. Before he could finish, Riolu frowned, as he squirted the kid's face with the squirt gun.

"Ah! HEY!" Avery snapped, glaring at the Emanation Pokémon, who smirked with a teasing grin. "You're one to talk, kid, since you five are the ones being kept prisoner. So, you, as their leader need to stay quiet." Takeru explained.

_"Right! Stay silent, prisoner!"_ Riolu playfully demanded, pointing the gun at the leader, who gulped. "R-Right..." Avery muttered as he sat on the ground. "Sorry, AV." The girl apologized.

"Oh? So your name is really AV?" Ash asked. Before Avery could respond back in a violent matter, Riolu threatened him with the squirt gun, as the kid leader answered softly.

"T-That's Avery to you, mister." Avery muttered, trying so hard to not act angry. "Okay! I'm Ash! And this is Pikachu!" Ash explained, gesturing to himself and the Electric Type.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu exclaimed, waving to the kids. "I'm Takeru. And this is Riolu." Takeru explained as he took the squirt gun away, with Riolu pouting a little, before the Fighting Type waved at the kids gently.

"Um... hi." Riolu whispered, smiling lightly at the four kids before glancing at Avery with a glare. The four kids were amazed. "Oh wow! I've never seen a real Pikachu and Riolu before!" The first girl exclaimed.

"Pikachu and Riolu are both cute and cool!" The chubby boy exclaimed, amazed with the two Pokémon. "Is it alright if we pet the two?" The shy boy asked. The two boys looked at each other, before nodding to each other.

"Alright. Go ahead." Takeru replied. Both Pikachu and Riolu ran to the center as the four kids began petting the two Pokémon with amazement and joy. Avery was surprised that his teammates were getting along with their two 'enemies'.

Ash glanced at Avery and tried to explain. "The thing is, we don't want to be enemies. We just want to talk!" Ash explained. This time, Avery was truly gentle about this situation.

"You mean it?" Avery asked. "Of course. That is why we invaded your secret base." Takeru answered with a chuckle, walking over. Avery smiled a little before he asked his question.

"Um... Would it be alright if I pet Pikachu and Riolu, too?" Avery asked. "Sure! No problem!" Ash answered with a nod. With that said, all five kids began to pet and tug onto the two little Pokémon!

That was when the two boys warned the kids. "Hold on! Don't pull on those two so much!" Takeru warned. Immediately, the kids stopped, asking why. Ash cleared his throat and explained the reason.

"If you all don't take it easy, you just might zapped or blasted!" Ash answered. "Zapped!?" "Blasted!?" The kids said the words together. Pikachu then looked like he was about to use Thunderbolt!

Riolu looked as if he was preparing to attack! All the kids stepped back, wondering if they will really attack. But, it turned out that it was just a bluff! The two Pokémon grinned at their little human friends.

_"Ha! Fooled you!"_ "Pikachu!" Riolu and Pikachu teased the kids together as they chuckled. All the kids were amazed as they all complimented how Pikachu and Riolu looked as of now.

"You see here, Pikachu is an Electric Type Pokémon, and is able to use an awesome move called Thunderbolt! Right, buddy?" Ash asked. Pikachu responded by using his Thunderbolt on Ash!

Ash yelled in pain as he was discharged by his best friend's attack. Takeru chuckled nervously as Riolu tried to hide his snickering. "Pretty intense, right?" Ash asked, chuckling in a little pain.

At that said, all the kids were amazed. "Riolu is here a Fighting Type Pokémon. And he can use Force Palm!" Takeru explained. _"Yes I can!"_ Riolu barked as he showed the kids on what Force Palm was like.

The five grew in awe as Ash grinned. "You see? Both Pikachu and Riolu are cute and strong!" Ash explained. Just then, Trubbish came over, looking at Ash and Pikachu, and Riolu and Takeru, making a pose!

He looked like he was trying to look cute as well. Ash was a bit speechless to that as Takeru thought it over. "What do I say to this?" Takeru asked. "Uh... You're cute too, I guess. I guess you really are!" Ash answered nervously.

"You'll bet that Trubbish is cute!" Avery exclaimed. The other stated how Trubbish was cute as well. "It's obvious to the four of us that you all like Trubbish that much, right?" Takeru asked.

"Yeah! We love Trubbish! Yeah!" The five kids agreed with grins on their faces. Avery walked over, taking off Ash's hat. "Here, Ash. I want you to have your hat back. Sorry about that." Avery apologized.

Ash smiled softly, taking the hat back with thanks. "Oh hey, thanks a lot." Ash thanked as he took the hat, and put it on his head. All the kids laughed together as both Ash and Takeru looked at each other with smiles on their faces.

Things were starting to look a bit more easier as of now.

To be continued...

**Takeru's Team:**

**Riolu: (M): (Force Palm, Blaze Kick, ThunderPunch, Dig)**

**Joltik: (M): (Electro Ball, Electroweb, String Shot, Signal Beam)**

**Tranquill: (M): (Air Cutter, Gust, Roost, Aerial Ace)**

**Tepig: (M): (Flamethrower, Smog, Flame Charge, Rollout)**

Next chapters:

**Chapter 24: The Trubbish Squad Recruits!**

**Chapter 25: Time to Clean Up, Minccino!**

**Chapter 26: Minccino to Sweep Up!**

**Chapter 27: The Nacrene Museum Haunted Rumors!?**

**Chapter 28: The Angry Spirit to Overcome!**

**Next chapter preview:**

Iris: Hey, Ash! Takeru! What in the world is going on over there!?

Ash: I've decided, that like the kids said, Trubbish will be staying here, Daniella!

Daniella: That is out of the question, Ash! These are the children I need to take care of! So the Trubbish goes out!

Takeru: You do realize that you're going to go against your students who won't listen to you if you do that?

Cilan: Well... That might be true, but... we all need one solution to solve all of this...

Daniella: If you're going to get in my way, I have no choice but to force Trubbish out of this kindergarten class!


	24. The Trubbish Squad Recruits!

**Chapter 24: The Trubbish Squad Recruits!**

Last time on "Pokémon Unova Journey", Ash, Takeru, Iris, and Cilan were all on their way to Nacrene City for Ash and Takeru's second Unova Gym Badge, when they were stopped by a rebellious group of kids.

It turns out, that it was a group of kindergarteners that the teachers, Daniela and Karena were trying to control. As the five kids got away, they even managed to snatch away Ash's hat, much to his despair.

The two women led the four trainers into their Daycare Center and Kindergarten School, as they explained on how all this mess had happened. Daniela explains that her school kids had befriended a Trubbish.

And now, they made a mess at the playground by creating a junk barrier and a plain looking treehouse, creating a fort for themselves. Ash was amazed, but Takeru grew concerned of the balance of the barrier.

Karena requested the two boys to go and try to convince the five kids to stop this trouble and help clean up the mess. But, as the two boys tried to get in, they both got some surprises for themselves.

Ash and Pikachu fell right into the kids' traps, while Takeru and Riolu remained safe, catching a few kids as hostages. The kindergartners gave up as Avery, the leader of the squad made an apology to the two boys.

Now, both Ash and Takeru will have to find out on how to get the kids and Trubbish convinced, while cleaning up the mess at the same time!

"Come on, you guys. I say, stop this. Go on and make things right with your teacher. What do you say?" Ash asked, as he went back to the main subject. The Nuvema boy stepped up, adding his words into it.

"We can go together with you guys, when you all say that you're sorry to your teacher." Takeru added. But, Avery immediately objected to that as he tried to explain that it wasn't their fault.

"We didn't do anything wrong!" Avery complained. "Avery's right!" The first girl agreed, going along with the complaints. "It's our teacher's fault, of course!" Avery explained.

"Yeah! It's Miss Daniela's fault!" The two other kids agreed. Both boys frowned as Takeru crouched down, asking. "Is it because she wanted you to take Trubbish away to the junkyard?" Takeru asked.

"Mm hm... And when we said that we wanted to keep Trubbish, she just took it away and dumped it!" Avery explained. "Trubbish isn't a bad Pokémon at all!" The first girl added.

"Yeah! And Trubbish didn't do anything wrong!" The thin, shy kid explained, trying to convince the two boys. The Kanto trainer frowned, unsure of what to do. "Okay... But, it can get pretty stinky..." Ash reminded.

"Yeah... It kind of does stink-" "It does NOT stink at all!" Avery interrupted the second girl by declaring the positive comment of Trubbish. Trubbish let out a silly grin as he shot a little of garbage breath.

Due to the fort being closed in, the stink started to spread, causing both Ash and Takeru to widen their eyes as they covered their noses and mouths. Even Riolu and Pikachu covered their noses.

_"Ugh... Big bro, it's starting to smell bad here!"_ Riolu moaned as the Nuvema boy gritted his teeth. "Y-Yeah... I can smell that..." Takeru groaned as the kids covered their noses as well.

"No! Trubbish does not stink!" "Yeah! Trubbish does not stink!" Avery snapped as the other four kindergarteners followed. But, it was too much for the two boys as Ash let out a loud yell.

"TRUBBISH STINKS!" Ash yelled, as he got out of the fort. His voice echoed through the playground, causing everyone else to hear what was going on. "Huh? That sounded just like Ash!" Iris pointed out.

She was right as the curtains of the fort entrance opened, revealing both Ash and Takeru crawling out of the stink mess as they both took big and deep breaths. "Gah... That was just..." Takeru panted.

_"Gross..."_ Riolu commented as he fell on his back, not being able to stand the stink. Four of the kindergarteners ran out, as they were not able to stand the stink as well, despite of them liking Trubbish.

"Man... That is potent..." Ash groaned as he covered his nose still. "Pika..." Pikachu agreed as he slumped on his best friend's shoulder. "No, it is NOT!" Avery retorted as he came out with the Poison Type.

As both boys turned, Avery had walked out of the fort too, along with Trubbish, who was saddened by being offended to Ash's words. "Trubbish, everything is just fine..." Avery assured.

"But, Avery..." Takeru started until the Kanto trainer walked up to Trubbish. "Trubbish, isn't Avery a good buddy?" Ash asked. Trubbish responded with a nod and a smile, sounding like he agreed.

Just then, something was burrowing under the ground, as it revealed a familiar Pokémon. It dug out of the hole, and started crawling towards the tree fort. "What's that?" Ash asked.

Takeru and Riolu came over, seeing the burrowing Pokémon. It was a Sandile! And it seemed to be wearing sunglasses. The five kids immediately went up to action, ready to fight.

"Intruder alert! Everyone, prepare to attack!" Avery called. "Let's go!" The four kids agreed as they all ran to get some of their mud balls. Both Ash and Takeru just stood, feeling familiar with the Sandile.

"Hey... Isn't that the Sandile from...?" Ash started as the Nuvema boy answered the question. "Yeah... It's that Sandile who came from the hot sand where Dan and his dad worked on!" Takeru answered.

Everyone then climbed down as Sandile crawled up, noticing both Pikachu and Riolu. A new rivalry sparked out as Sandile prepared to attack. Its back glowed, unleashing a Stone Edge attack!

The sharp stones were launched, heading straight for everyone and the three Pokémon! "It's using Stone Edge! Everyone, get back!" Takeru yelled. All the kids ran off as the Stone Edge hit near the boys' feet.

Both Riolu and Pikachu glared at the Dark-Ground Type, who smirked in rivalry. Takeru narrowed his eyes as he prepared for battle. "Riolu, this one seems to be a new rival to you..." Takeru pointed out.

_"That sunglasses Sandile is my rival? Please..."_ Riolu grumbled as Sandile prepared to attack again. All the five kids brought their mud balls with them, preparing to get Sandile back.

"Time for a mud ball counterattack! GO!" Avery called. With that said, all the kids threw their mud balls at the Dark-Ground Type, who grew startled with the mud thrown at him.

Sandile glared at the kids as he launched another Stone Edge attack at the kids, causing all of them to scream in surprise. Takeru gritted his teeth and stood between Sandile and the kids.

"Alright, that's enough, Sandile!" Takeru demanded. Riolu growled, facing his opponent. _"You want to become rival for me? Then, you have to beat me here!"_ Riolu snapped, making a challenge.

Sandile seemed to have accepted a challenge as he launched another Stone Edge attack. "Riolu! Send those stones right back!" Takeru shouted. Riolu punched and kicked the stones, knocking it back at Sandile.

Sandile yelped in surprise, before he dug underground, preparing a sneak attack. "Humph. Two can play that game. Riolu, use Dig as well!" Takeru shouted, as Riolu glared and nodded.

"Coming right up!" Riolu barked as he dug underground, smacking Sandile out of his hole and into the air! "Whoa! Nice, Takeru!" Ash complimented, seeing that Riolu was winning the battle.

"Pika Pika!" Pikachu agreed, also seeing the incoming victory. Sandile regained his balance at the air as he aimed a Bite attack at the Emanation Pokémon. "Bite... Use Blaze Kick, Riolu!" Takeru called.

Without hesitation, Riolu kicked Sandile by the stomach, causing it to be sent flying into the air! Trubbish glared at the flying opponent as he launched a Sludge attack at it, sending it out of the schoolyard.

"Whoa! Trubbish just used Sludge!" Ash exclaimed. Sandile wailed as he was sent flying out of sight. The kids grew speechless at first, then they all cheered for their victory.

"Yeah! We won!" Avery declared. "YEAH!" The four kids agreed as they ran around the Kanto trainer and the Nuvema boy, commenting on how great they were. "That was awesome, Riolu!" One kid complimented.

"We really did it! Didn't we, Takeru? Ash?" The girl asked. "We sure did!" Ash agreed. "Pikachu!" "Yeah! It's our victory!" Pikachu and Riolu called out, cheering for their victory as well.

"Yeah! Looks like the Trubbish Squad did it again!" Avery declared. "YEAH!" The kids agreed, as Ash joined in the cheer. Takeru laughed nervously as Ash grabbed his left arm, holding it in the air.

"Come on, Takeru. Join up!" Ash requested. The Nuvema boy blinked in embarrassment as he turned away. "N-No way... This is kid's stuff, Ash. Are you really planning to become one of them?" Takeru asked.

"Why not? This is kind of turning out to be fun!" Ash laughed as Pikachu went on his shoulder. Riolu snickered as Takeru blinked, seeing that he was outnumbered. He gave a sigh and a shrug.

"Alright... Fine." Takeru agreed as he joined in the cheer, as everyone else laughed together happily. Back at the playground, Cilan, Iris, Daniela, and Karena were all hearing things and watching.

Daniela widened her eyes in surprise, hearing of what was going on. "It sounds like both Ash and Takeru started playing with those children, too!" Daniela exclaimed, biting her lips.

Iris frowned at that, as she stood on the jungle gym. "What are those two doing that for? Are they just playing along?" Iris asked. "So much for changing their minds..." Cilan sighed.

Daniela then stepped up, glaring at the tree fort and the junk barrier. "And that means... I've got to take care of this myself!" Daniela snapped as she began to walk over to the junk barrier.

Karena frowned, as she nodded in agreement. "Right, dear." Karena agreed. So, the four of them walked over to the junk barrier, getting to the top as Daniela made her request.

"Children, we need to talk this over!" Daniela called. "And Ash? Takeru? What is the meaning of this, joining up with those kids?" Iris scolded, glaring at the two boys as Takeru frowned.

"Don't ask me... I never asked for this..." Takeru answered with a scoff. "Well, you see... One thing had led to another..." Ash explained. "Pikachu..." Pikachu agreed as he nervously chuckled.

Daniela bit her lips as she started to get annoyed at this situation. "Now, look! How long are you all planning to stay in all this junk!?" Daniela scolded, as Avery glared back, shouting at her.

"We're gonna stay here unless you say that we can keep Trubbish!" Avery demanded. "I'm very sorry, but that's impossible. Please, just try to understand." Daniela pleaded. But, to her dismay, it was no use.

"I will NOT!" Avery screamed. "And we won't, either!" The other kids declared. Ash tried to get the teacher to change her mind as well. "Come on, Daniela. At least give them a chance to let them what they want to tell you!" Ash suggested.

Daniela sighed, refusing to go along with this. "No, Ash! Will you and Takeru please stay out of this!" Daniela snapped. Ash sighed, seeing that this wasn't working well one bit. "Oh man..." Ash muttered.

"Remember, boys. This is my kindergarten class!" Daniela reminded roughly as Takeru stepped up, joining in the argument. "This isn't just your class, this is their kindergarten class, too!" Takeru snapped.

"It's my job to protect the children at all costs! And that means I've got no choice but to force Trubbish to leave!" Daniela demanded as she took out a Pokéball. The Nuvema boy gritted his teeth at that.

"When will you ever learn, old lady, that you can't make all the decisions for yourself. You have to give your class a chance to-" Takeru started, but was interrupted by the teacher.

"You be quiet! Deerling, come help me!" Daniela called. At that moment, Takeru made a desperate move. "Riolu, use Blaze Kick!" Takeru shouted. Riolu glared at the woman and leapt in the air.

As soon as Deerling appeared, the Blaze Kick made contact, giving Deerling a direct hit! The Grass-Normal Type squealed in pain as she was smashed to the ground, as Daniela gasped.

"Ah! No, Deerling! Takeru! What is the meaning of this!?" Daniela snapped. "I'm doing what must be done. If you won't listen to reason, then I'll have to take desperate measures, along with Riolu." Takeru snapped.

_"We won't let you take Trubbish away!"_ Riolu growled as he prepared to attack Deerling again. Deerling struggled to get up as she panted. Ash then stepped up, calling Pikachu to battle.

"Pikachu, help Riolu out!" Ash called. Pikachu nodded as he joined up with the Emanation Pokémon, causing everyone to be surprised. "Ash!? What are you doing!?" Daniela shouted.

"Both Takeru and I wanted to know that we're part of the Trubbish Squad, too!" Ash declared. "Yeah! Let's hear it for Ash and Takeru!" Avery shouted out. "Yeah!" The other kids cheered.

**Daniela: Deerling VS Ash/Takeru: Pikachu &amp; Riolu**

Iris and Cilan both blinked in surprise, seeing of what the two boys were fighting for. But, Daniela still didn't get this. "If that's how you want it! Alright, Deerling! Use Tackle!" Daniela shouted.

Deerling charged at Pikachu with the Tackle attack as Ash made his move. "Quick, dodge it, Pikachu!" Ash called. The Electric Type dodged the attack as both boys got ready.

"Use Dig, Riolu!" Takeru shouted. Riolu nodded as he dug underground for another surprise attack. "Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Ash called. Pikachu shot the Electric Type move at Deerling, who dodged.

"Now, use Tackle one more time!" Daniela shouted. Deerling aimed another Tackle at Pikachu. However, both Daniela and her Pokémon didn't count on Riolu making the surprise attack.

"Blaze Kick, Riolu. Now!" Takeru shouted. Riolu made another kick, at his opponent's stomach, as Deerling gasped in pain, before being sent, bumping into a couple of old bookshelves.

Suddenly the bookshelf began to fall, as Deerling managed to caught it, trying to keep it away from her. When it tried to do that, the junk barrier balance started to grow weaker.

Both Karena and Takeru noticed this as the woman gasped. "Ah! Deerling, don't move no matter what! Otherwise, that mountain of junk might collapse!" Karena warned, seeing the rumbling junk.

Immediately, Deerling attempted to hold the junk back more. "Ash, Takeru, Daniela. Forget this battle at once!" Karena called as she jumped down to help stop the junk from falling.

"Ash!" "Takeru!" Cilan and Iris called as they jumped into help as well. "Iris, Cilan, take care of the kids!" Ash called. The two agreed as they ran to help out the four kids. But, Avery seemed to want to stay put.

Daniela ran over, trying to convince her stubborn student to move. "This is dangerous! We have to get out of here right now!" Daniela explained. But, as usual, Avery snapped at her, refusing to move.

"NO! I'm going to stay here with Trubbish, and that's that!" Avery screamed. "No, please, Avery. You've got to listen to me!- Ah!" Daniela pleaded, until there was another rumbling.

The teacher gasped, seeing a huge bookshelf coming and falling towards both Avery and Trubbish. "No! Look out!" Daniela yelled as she ran behind Avery to protect her student.

The bookshelf fell on her back, putting pressure on Daniela as she resisted, trying to save her student. "Ugh... Please, Avery. Just do it for me!" Daniela grunted as she tried to resist the pressure.

Trubbish looked around, seeing that everyone was trying to help and protect the kids and itself. "Hurry! Get out of here! It's gonna collapse!" Ash grunted as he and Pikachu kept pushing the other bookshelf with Deerling.

"The barrier won't hold for much longer! We all have to move, NOW!" Takeru yelled as he pushed back the junk that was about to fall at the kids, as Riolu kept pushing at it.

"Get into the treehouse!" Iris called. She helped the four kids get up to the treehouse as Cilan helped as well. "Now, hold on tight, okay?" Cilan called as the girl nodded, feeling scared.

"Ugh... Hurry!" Karena grunted as she held the kid, trying to get him to the treehouse. The more Trubbish looked around, the more it saw the humans and the other Pokémon helping each other.

It crawled over where Ash, Pikachu, and Deerling were. He spit out a Sludge attack, destroying the junk that was about to fall on Ash and the two Pokémon. The Kanto trainer stopped as he looked up.

Takeru and Riolu turned as they kept struggling to keep the junk at bay, until Trubbish sent it away with another Sludge attack. It then destroyed the ones on Daniela, and all the other falling junk!

After several more Sludge attacks were thrown, the junk barrier was nearly torn down, making it more clear for everyone to go through. "Wow. Thanks, Trubbish! You just saved all of us!" Ash thanked.

"Deerling!" "Pika Pika!" _"Thanks for the help, Trubbish."_ Deerling, Pikachu, and Riolu thanked together. Iris and Cilan, with the four kids watched as the barrier had been cleared.

"That Trubbish is really good!" Iris pointed out. Trubbish gave a salute to everyone as Daniela watched in amazement, seeing on how Trubbish helped everyone out. "Trubbish..." Daniela whispered.

**That evening...**

It was sunset as Avery and the other kids stopped playing their games as they were all in front of their teacher, apologizing. "We're really, really sorry... It's all our fault..." Avery apologized.

"Yes. We're really sorry..." The other four kids apologized. Daniela smiled at her little students as she accepted it. "It's alright." Daniela assured as Avery started to cry, sniffling.

"B-But, Daniela..." Avery sniffled as Daniela crouched down, looking at all her little kids. "Avery... I'm sorry, too. I wasn't really a good listener... You're all okay. Thank goodness..." Daniela sighed.

"Daniela?" The four other kids called out, as they stood besides their teacher. "So, do you see now? Won't you please think about it again? Let Trubbish stay. Who would take better care of it other than your kids?" Ash asked.

Daniela then gave a thought as Karena glanced at her. "Well? What's it going to be?" Karena asked. Everyone watched as Daniela thought it over. Few of the kids were praying for a positive answer.

The teacher then got up as she crouched down towards the Poison Type Pokémon. "Trubbish... Would you like to be part of my kindergarten class?" Daniela offered, as Trubbish widened his eyes in shock.

He then cheered, making his answer a yes. All the kids cheered as they ran to the Poison Type, celebrating together that they're able to keep Trubbish as a friend of theirs.

Karena smirked and explained about Trubbish. "A Trubbish will stop releasing its smelly breath, when it becomes more friendly to people!" Karena explained. Daniela turned in surprise, seeing that her grandmother knew it all.

"Of course, it all depends on how you raise it!" Karena chuckled. Takeru narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "Don't tell us that you knew all of that from the start..." Takeru grumbled, knowing what the answer already was.

"Well, I do run a daycare after all!" Karena chuckled. "Hold on! Why didn't you tell us that in the first place?" Iris complained as she frowned, not understanding the daycare woman.

"You have to find out in your ways! To raise Pokémon and the kids! It's all the same! Ah ha ha ha!" Karena answered as she laughed. "Oh dear... Grandma..." Daniela groaned, not getting her sense of humor.

Later, night came as everyone began to put all the junk back at the junkyard. Even the group's Pokémon helped with the task. "Keep it up, you guys! Just a little more!" Ash called.

All of his Pokémon followed along as Takeru, Iris, and Cilan carried more of the junk. Even Trubbish came to give some assistance. "Ash... Why do we have to do all the cleaning?" Iris complained.

"I'd rather much be doing the cooking..." Cilan sighed. "I guess there is no end to Ash... Since we're the ones who were also part of the mess..." Takeru grunted as he held his junk, with Riolu following behind.

_"That's a point there..."_ Riolu added with a sigh. "Come on... It's for the kids and Trubbish!... So, let's get this all cleaned up by morning!" Ash explained. Trubbish responded with a nod and a grin.

So, the four trainers and all of their Pokémon continued their work until all the junk had been returned to the junkyard. By the time that was done, the sun began to rose up, showing dawn.

**The next morning...**

The group was back at the kindergarten school as Daniela and Karena had two Pokémon Eggs out. "I can't thank you enough, to all of you." Daniela thanked as the two walked over to the two boys.

"Here, Ash. Takeru. It's a thank you gift for what you've done for all of us." Karena explained. The light Egg with brown spots was for Ash, while the black and red lining egg was for Takeru.

"Oh wow... Those are Pokémon Eggs!" Iris exclaimed as she looked closer at the two Eggs. "Of course, you two will have to wait and find out when it hatches!" Karena reminded with a wink.

Ash grew joyful with that as he took the Egg in the case with thanks. "Thank you so much!" Ash thanked. "Yes. Thanks so much, Daniela. Karena." Takeru thanked as he took the Egg as well.

"All that I ask for the two of you is to raise them well!" Karena requested. "No need to worry, ma'am. We'll have it under our control." Takeru assured. Riolu gave a salute as both Daniela and Karena chuckled.

"Hey, Ash! Takeru!" Avery called. Both boys turned to see the kids smiling at them. "Come and play with us again someday!" Avery requested. "Don't forget! The two of you are part of the Trubbish Squad!" The girl reminded.

"Sure... One day, we'll all have a battle someday!" Ash promised. All the kids cheered as Takeru chuckled. "Just make sure to take care of Trubbish, and keep it away from trouble, okay?" Takeru asked.

"Alright!" The five kids agreed as Trubbish made a salute to stay out of trouble. With that said, Ash, Takeru, Iris, and Cilan went back to their route for Nacrene City as they said their farewells to the kids and the two teachers.

Now, the journey for Nacrene City continues as the four trainers make their way there! What will occur along the way? Stay tuned for some more Pokémon actions!

To be continued...

**Takeru's Team:**

**Riolu: (M): (Force Palm, Blaze Kick, ThunderPunch, Dig)**

**Joltik: (M): (Electro Ball, Signal Beam, String Shot, Electroweb)**

**Tranquill: (M): (Air Cutter, Gust, Aerial Ace, Roost)**

**Tepig: (M): (Flamethrower, Smog, Flame Charge, Rollout)**

**Egg: (N/A): This Egg is not even close to hatching yet...**

Next chapters:

**Chapter 25: Time to Clean Up, Minccino!**

**Chapter 26: Minccino to Sweep Up!**

**Chapter 27: The Nacrene Museum Haunted Rumors!?**

**Chapter 28: The Angry Spirit to Overcome!**

**Chapter 29: The Nacrene Gym Battle! Pt. 1**

**Next chapter preview:**

Bianca: Wait up! I've been looking for the two of you for a long time, Ash! Takeru!

Takeru: You were looking for us? Why?... Oh, that's right... Our Badge Cases for our Unova Gym Badges!

Ash: Hey, what the!? Who was that Pokémon!? It has my Badge Case!

Cilan: It's a Minccino! Those kinds of Pokémon likes to clean things until it shines! I guess your Badge Case was a little too dirty for it...

Bianca: No need to worry, Ash! I'll get your Badge Case back! And, I also plan to catch it as my second Pokémon!

Iris: This Bianca is really energetic when it comes to Pokémon... And she acts forgetful, too...


	25. Time to Clean Up, Minccino!

**Chapter 25: Time to Clean Up, Minccino!**

"Once we follow this route, we should be close to Nacrene City, right, Cilan?" Takeru asked as he looked at Cilan's Unova guide device. "That's right! We should be there in a day or two..." Cilan explained.

Ash was already pumped up for his incoming Gym battle. "Alright! I just can't wait for my second Unova Gym Badge coming up!" Ash exclaimed. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu agreed, as he was also excited.

Iris and Axew both sighed and shrugged together as the four trainers kept on walking. "Wait, everyone!" A girl called out. Everyone turned to see a girl coming to their way, looking like she was in a hurry.

She had a green beret, that was on her blonde hair. She had a green purse, and she wore an orange dress, with a white skirt, along with the yellow shoes, and orange long socks.

"Please, hang on a sec!" The girl called out as she ran faster. Suddenly, she slipped on a stone as she shrieked, trying to regain her balance while still running. But, it proved to be no good.

Iris managed to get out of the girl's way. But, the three boys were too late to dodge as they were all bashed into the stream, along with Pikachu and Riolu!

**(Pokémon: BW Best Wishes Opening: Be An Arrow! (English Subbed))**

(Ash, Takeru, Cilan, and Iris are running with Pikachu, Riolu, Pansage, and Axew, with colorful arrows flying above them as they ran to a light!)

**_One swiftly running arrow!_**

(A blue pillar and orange pillar appears, showing Ash and Pikachu, with Takeru and Riolu)

_**One supple arrow!**_

(A purple pillar appears, showing Iris and Axew)

_**One thinking arrow!**_

(A yellow green pillar appears, showing Cilan)

_**That's us now!**_

(Ash, Takeru, Cilan, and Iris stand together as they move towards the air together)

**_Cross the green mountain, remove the white clouds_**

(The Japanese opening appears)

_**Let's colorfully push through the wilderness, become an arrow!**_

(A group of wild Pokémon from the five regions run or fly along)

_**Even if we suddenly turn around, twist, and shake**_

(Ash, Cilan, Takeru, and Iris are running alongside with the Water Type Pokémon on the sea)

(Meloetta suddenly appears, snatching Ash's hat from his head)

_**There's no way that we'll get separated!**_

(In Prof. Oak's laboratory, all of Ash's Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh were there; Charizard gives a thumbs up to the screen)

_**Sometimes I can no longer see the road, and don't know where to go**_

(Ash and Takeru were stopped by giant pillars, blocking their way)

_**But you will always be by my side!**_

(Pikachu and Riolu appears, with Pikachu using Thunderbolt, while Riolu uses Aura Sphere)

(Both trainers and Pokémon smile happily at each other)

_**Even the bright sun is hidden by the clouds sometimes**_

(Keldeo, Cobalion, Virizion, and Terrakion stands together on top of an ice)

(Kyurem appears, turning into either Black or White Kyurem)

_**But meetings will always bring light!**_

(Cynthia and Alder smile at the four trainers standing at the bottom)

(Hikaru and Dawn comes by, with Infernape using Flamethrower, as Piplup uses Hydro Pump)

(Jessie, James, and Meowth let out evil smirks)

_**One too hot arrow!**_

(Stephan and Sawk pose together, standing together)

_**Two competitive arrows!**_

(Trip and Servine appears together after the dust clears)

_**Three helpful arrows!**_

(Bianca comes by with Pignite, as the two fall together)

_**So the heart will never break!**_

(Trip, Dawn, Hikaru, Iris, Ash, Takeru, Cilan, Bianca, and Stephan stand together with their Pokémon partners)

_**Aim forward as an arrow!**_

(Everyone shoots in the air, towards the sky)

_**Shine greater than even now as an arrow!**_  
_**Thrust toward your dream!**_

(Everyone combines together, creating a huge arrow, shooting towards the building)

(Takeru, Ash, Cilan, and Iris all stand together with all of their current Pokémon)

(Ash: Pikachu, Oshawott, Snivy, Tepig, Pidove, Scraggy)  
(Takeru: Riolu, Tranquill, Tepig, Joltik, Zorua, Petilil)  
(Iris: Axew and Excadrill)  
(Cilan: Pansage and Dwebble)

**(Opening ends)**

"I'm so sorry... Please, forgive me! I just feel totally awful!" The girl apologized as she bowed down several times. Ash, Takeru, and Cilan were all heating themselves by the fire, thanks to the two Tepigs.

Most of their clothes were hanging to be dried, leaving both Ash and Takeru in their boxers. Cilan chuckled, trying to assure to the girl that it was okay. "Please, stop. It's alright!" Cilan assured.

"So, what are you doing all the way out here?" Iris asked. "Actually, I wanted to have a little talk with both Ash and Takeru!" The girl explained. The two boys blinked in surprise as the girl went over to them.

She showed them her pink Xtransceiver as she dialed a number to call someone. "Here... I want you two to look at this." The girl explained as she finished dialing. Just then, a familiar face appeared at the screen.

"Professor Juniper!" Ash called out. Both Takeru and Riolu were surprised to see the Unova Professor talking to them. "How nice to see the two of you, Ash! Takeru! Hello there!" Prof. Juniper exclaimed.

"It's nice to see you again too, Professor." Takeru chuckled, smiling at her. Riolu climbed up to his human brother's shoulder, also barking his greetings to the Unova Professor.

"Nice to see you too, Riolu! So! Ash, Takeru. How are your Gym battles going?" Prof. Juniper asked. "It's fine. We already earned the Trio Badge from the Striaton Gym, Professor." Takeru answered.

"I'm so proud for the two of you! Now, about those badges of yours..." Prof. Juniper started, confusing the two boys as she began to explain. Prof. Juniper smiled, sounding like she was sorry all of a sudden.

"Please accept my apology. I forgot to give the two of you your Badge Cases! Bianca has them with her. Bye bye!" Prof. Juniper explained as she turned her phone off, as the girl, Bianca, giggled.

"Bianca, that's me! Hello there!" Bianca giggled, as Iris stepped up. "My name is Iris! Nice to meet you!" Iris explained as she introduced herself. "And I'm Cilan! A Pokémon Connoisseur!" Cilan explained, bowing down.

Bianca nodded and began to dig into her Bag to search for the two Badge Cases. "So, let me give the two of you your Badge... Hm?... Mm..." Bianca started, but stopped and frowned as she tried to look into her Bag.

The four trainers watched in wonder as Bianca tried to search for the two Badge Cases. "Come on, come on... I know I put it in this Bag somewhere... It's got to be here somewhere..." Bianca grumbled.

A few minutes later, Bianca was still searching through her Bag. More time passed, as the fire was already out. Takeru, Ash, and Cilan also were already back in their traveling clothes, too.

"Excuse me... Do you have any luck yet?" Ash asked. By the time he asked that, Bianca dug it out. "Here it is!" Bianca exclaimed. She pulled out two dusty Unova Badge Cases.

One was a blue and black striped Badge Case, the other was a silver and black striped Badge Case. When she pulled it out, Bianca coughed, seeing that some of the dust got to her.

"Wow... Those Badge Cases are sure are dusty..." Iris commented after seeing the dusty Cases. Bianca dusted the Cases away, before handing it over to the two boys. "There... Here you go, you guys!" Bianca called.

"Great! Thank you!" "Thanks for the help, Bianca." Ash and Takeru thanked together. The Kanto trainer rose his Badge Case into the air, feeling proud for it. "This is awesome! I just got... a Badge Case!" Ash exclaimed.

"Pi Pikachu!" Pikachu agreed. He put his Trio Badge in the Case, not minding the dust that was on the cover. Takeru blew some of the dust off, before putting his Trio Badge in.

Riolu grumbled about the dust in the Case. _"I thought Badge Cases were supposed to be cleaner than that... Could I clean it up?"_ Riolu asked, as he laid his paw out to hold the Case.

The Nuvema boy smiled as he gave his Pokémon brother the Badge Case. "I would really appreciate it, little bro. Thanks!" Takeru thanked as he rubbed the Emanation Pokémon's head as Riolu growled happily at that.

So, the little Fighting Type took the Unova Badge Case and began cleaning it up. As time passed, it soon became squeaky clean. Riolu grinned as he proudly gave the Badge Case back to his human brother.

"Heh, thanks, little bro! I appreciate it!" Takeru thanked as he rubbed the Emanation Pokémon's head as Riolu growled happily. "I just can't wait to get all eight badges!" Ash exclaimed.

The Nuvema duo walked up as Iris looked at the Trio Badge in Ash's case. "When you two do, you'll both be ready!" Iris pointed out as Takeru smiled. "I guess... The Nacrene Gym isn't that far from here..." Takeru reminded.

"I would love to see your badge! May I?" Bianca asked as she held her hands out. "Sure! Here..." Ash replied as he gave the Badge Case to Bianca. But, right when it was in her hands, it was gone!

All the five trainers blinked in surprise as they all saw a Pokémon dashing off with Ash's Badge Case in its mouth. "Hey! Come on! That's my Badge Case!" Ash cried out in complaint.

He put his backpack on and ran after the Pokémon. "Wait up!" Ash called as he and Pikachu made the chase. The others blinked before they tried to go after the two. "Come back!" "Hold on!" Bianca and Takeru called out.

As the chase continued, the speedy Pokémon made its way towards the path as it hopped over a log. "Pika Pika!" _"Hey! Stop right there!"_ Pikachu and Riolu cried out as they ran after the thief.

As for the trainers, Ash panted, seeing that he couldn't keep up with the Pokémon. "Man... I'll tell you... That's one fast Pokémon for sure..." Ash groaned. "Yes! And a wonderful Pokémon, too!" Bianca squealed.

"You're saying a Pokémon who's a thief is a wonderful Pokémon? You're crazy..." Takeru commented as he shook his head with disappointment. "Yeah! Please, save your admiring for another time!" Iris pleaded.

"Axew ew!" Axew agreed. Bianca then turned to both Takeru and Iris as she explained her reason for admiring it. "It's just that I never seen such a fast Pokémon! I'm thrilled!" Bianca exclaimed.

"Excitable too, I guess..." Cilan chuckled nervously. The Kanto trainer grew impatient as he hopped onto the log. "Knock it off! I just got to get my Badge back..." Ash grunted as he got ready to jump.

"Wouldn't they just give you a replacement badge?" Bianca asked, causing Ash to get up in surprise. "Replacement badge!?... WHOA!" Ash yelped as he started to fall, only for Takeru to grab his hood just in time.

"Thanks, Takeru... Also, Bianca... That Badge is loaded with special memories, so that's the only one I want!" Ash snapped, making an angry look. "Well, if that's the case, then none of us are gonna stop you, Ash." Takeru assured.

Just then, the five trainers heard both Pikachu and Riolu calling out to them. They ran over to where the two Pokémon were, as both Riolu and Pikachu were in front of the bushes.

Everyone peeked to see what was going on. Ahead, there was the same Pokémon who stole Ash's Badge Case. "Ah! It's my Badge Case!" Ash gasped as the Pokémon turned with its tail on the case.

It then began to rub the case with its tail, as Bianca squealed. "Aw... How cute!" Bianca exclaimed as she took out her pink Pokédex, scanning the new Pokémon.

_"Minccino, the Chinchilla Pokémon. Minccino loves shiny things and will use its tail as a brush to clean any objects that are dirty."_ Bianca's Pokédex buzzed. They all watched as Minccino began to clean the case with its tail.

"Minccino likes to keep things tidy!" Bianca pointed out. "It must've taken the Badge Case in order to clean it!" Cilan guessed as Bianca grinned, seeing this as a perfect chance for a capture.

"And since I hate to clean, this will be a perfect chance for me!" Bianca giggled. Both Ash and Takeru sweat dropped as they turned back to the Chinchilla Pokémon. "Okay... It's time to get my badge back..." Ash started.

But then, Bianca ran up ahead, facing the Normal Type. "No! I'll get it myself!" Bianca declared as she took out a Pokéball. "Well... That was a pretty fast decision..." Takeru commented.

"She must be moving at her own speed..." Cilan grumbled. "Well, I think she is a bit selfish!" Iris commented. Both Pikachu and Riolu looked at each other before shrugging as they watched.

"You just leave it to me and I'll get your case back!" Bianca assured. As she said that, Minccino glared at the humans as she took the Badge Case in its mouth, not wanting to return it.

"Okay! Time for a battle! Go! Pignite!" Bianca shouted as she summoned her starter Pokémon. A Fire Type Pokémon appeared as it looked a lot like Tepig. "Huh? What's that?" Ash asked.

"That's Tepig's evolved form, Pignite!" Cilan answered. "So then Tepig must be the starter that she got from Prof. Juniper..." Takeru pointed out as Riolu watched in amazement. Ash took out his Pokédex, scanning it.

_"Pignite, the Fire Pig Pokémon and the evolved form of Tepig. Pignite's food converts into fuel for the flame that burns in its stomach, and when fuel burns in its stomach, its speed increases."_ Ash's Pokédex buzzed.

"Now! Use Tackle on Minccino!" Bianca shouted, pointing at the Chinchilla Pokémon. Pignite charged at Minccino, who jumped to dodge, causing Pignite to miss as he hit the shrubs.

"Wow... Minccino sure is fast!" Cilan complimented, causing the Nuvema boy to sweat drop. "Oh great... Now, you're interested in its speed?" Takeru scoffed as Riolu watched in amusement.

"Now, Pignite! Use Flame Charge!" Bianca shouted. Pignite stomped on the ground several times before he shot forward, aiming a Flame Charge attack towards Minccino, who dodged it once again.

It climbed up to the tree. With frustration, both Bianca and Pignite stomped their feet to the ground for making another miss. "Oh no... We were so close, so close, SO CLOSE!" Bianca shrieked angrily.

"Obviously, Bianca might not look like it, but she's a fierce battler!" Cilan complimented as he saw how she and Pignite moved. "And her temper can get flared up when she misses a lot..." Takeru added with a chuckle.

_"Do you think Pignite might stand a chance, Takeru?"_ Riolu asked as he looked up at his human brother. "Well... We'll just have to see on how the battle goes..." Takeru answered.

"Hey! Would you hurry it up and get my badge back?" Ash asked, feeling impatient for the long wait. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu agreed as he frowned. Bianca turned with a wink and a grin.

"It's good as done, Ash!" Bianca assured. She then turned back to the battle as Pignite got ready to fight once again. "Pignite! Use Flame Charge once again!" Bianca called, pointing at Minccino.

The Fire Type prepared another Flame Charge, until Minccino made a surprising attack. It curled up its ears as it shot a loud voice, immobilizing Pignite, while dealing some heavy damage.

"That's Hyper Voice! A strong move!" Takeru pointed out. _"That's a really loud voice... for a little Pokémon... like Minccino!"_ Riolu groaned as he covered his long, floppy ears.

"It looks like Pignite can't move at that state!" Cilan pointed out. After Pignite couldn't move by the Hyper Voice, Minccino used this chance to make a distraction, hopping onto his opponent.

The Fire Pig Pokémon blinked his eyes in surprise as he turned, trying to find where his little opponent is. He was too late to figure it out when the Chinchilla Pokémon puts its tail on Pignite's armpit.

It then began to tickle the Fire Type as Pignite made a goofy face, trying to resist the status move. But, it was no good as the Tickle attack made its move, causing Pignite to laugh so hard.

"Pignite! No!" Bianca gasped. "There goes Tickle..." Iris sighed. Both Takeru and Riolu fell over, seeing that a strong Pokémon like Minccino was actually winning against the evolved Pignite.

"Pignite, return!" Bianca called as she returned her starter back to its Pokéball. As she recalled her Fire Type, Bianca squealed, sounding like she wanted the Normal Type more than ever.

"Wow! That Minccino is little and cute, and tough at the same! Now, I've just got to catch it!" Bianca squealed. Ash stepped up as he was ready to go. "Then, I'll just have to get my Badge back myself!" Ash declared.

He glanced at Pikachu, who seemed ready to battle. Before he could call his Electric Type out, Takeru stepped up, putting a hand on the Kanto trainer's shoulder. "Let me handle this, Ash." Takeru replied.

Both Bianca and Ash watched in confusion as the Nuvema duo faced Minccino. "Let me try to get your Badge Case back." Takeru offered as he took out a Pokéball. Ash blinked before agreeing to this.

"Uh... Okay?" Ash replied as the Nuvema boy summoned his Pokémon. "Alright, Tranquill! I need your help!" Takeru shouted, summoning the evolved Flying Type for battle.

Tranquill chirped as he was ready to fight and win. "Perfect! With Tranquill in midair, it will be harder for Minccino to land an attack and use Tickle at the same time!" Cilan pointed out.

Suddenly, one of Ash's Pokéballs opened, revealing Oshawott, who smiled with proudness. "Osha Oshawott!" Oshawott offered, asking for Pikachu, Riolu, and Tranquill to all standby.

"Wow! So does all of Ash's Pokémon come out by themselves!?" Bianca exclaimed as she sounded impressed. "Just Oshawott..." Iris answered, only for the energetic girl to squeal in joy.

"How darling!" Bianca exclaimed, causing Iris to sweat drop with a sigh. "Oshawott... You want to battle?" Ash asked. "Osha! Oshawott." Oshawott answered with a proud tone.

Tranquill secretly only scoffed, not believing that a Water Type like Oshawott could beat a tricky Minccino like this. "Oshawott... Would you mind letting me and Tranquill handle this one?" Takeru asked.

The Sea Otter Pokémon turned to the Nuvema boy in question as Takeru explained. "Tranquill hasn't had the time to battle after evolving... And this is a serious situation we're in..." Takeru explained.

At the explanation, the Water Type groaned, disappointed that he couldn't battle then. "Come on, Oshawott... Both Takeru and Tranquill are trying to help. You know that!" Ash reminded.

He returned the Water Type back to its Pokéball as the Nuvema boy was ready. "Alright... You ready, Tranquill?" Takeru asked. "Tranquill Tran!" Tranquill chirped as he glared at Minccino.

Minccino glared back, preparing to fight. "Tranquill! Use Gust, let's go!" Takeru shouted. Tranquill flapped his arms, creating strong gusts of wind to try and blow Minccino away.

The Chinchilla Pokémon held on tight, gritting its teeth. Seeing that it was immobilized, Takeru saw his chance. "Now, use Air Cutter!" Takeru shouted. Tranquill unleashed several Air Cutter attacks.

Immediately, Minccino dodged the attacks as the Nuvema boy saw it, making another order. "Once more! Use Gust!" Takeru called. The Wild Pigeon Pokémon blew strong winds once again.

It knocked the Chinchilla Pokémon out into the air, knocking it to the ground. "Alright! Keep it going, Tranquill!" "Pikachu!" Ash and Pikachu cheered. "Faster, faster! Use Sky Attack!" Bianca called out.

The evolved Flying Type sweat dropped, surprised to hear that the girl was calling out an attack, an attack that he didn't even know how to use! "Bianca... Tranquill doesn't know how to use Sky Attack..." Iris reminded.

"Right... Tranquill! Use Air Cutter one more time!" Takeru shouted. Tranquill nodded as he shot sharp wind moves, that blasted Minccino away. "Now's your chance for Aerial Ace!" Takeru yelled.

Seeing that Minccino is being knocked away, Tranquill dove down low, aiming to prey on Minccino as he slammed into it, only for the Normal Type to hold on. "Wait, what the!?" Takeru gasped.

Both Riolu and Pikachu gasped at seeing Minccino on Tranquill's back. Minccino smirked as he began to tickle Tranquill under his left wing, causing the Flying Type to snicker and lose his balance.

"Oh no! Now Tranquill is in trouble!" Bianca gasped. The Flying Type laughed hard, as the tickling continued. That stopped when Minccino aimed a Double-Slap attack, hitting Tranquill twice in a direct hit.

"No, Tranquill!" Takeru gasped. With double direct hits, Tranquill groaned as he wobbled, lying facedown. Both the Nuvema boy and his Emanation Pokémon ran towards it as the trainer held his Flying Type in his arms.

"Tranquill... Are you okay?" Takeru asked. The Flying Type chirped sadly with a nod, being disappointed that it lost to a small Pokémon, and lost the first time in its evolution form.

"Oh... And we were so close..." Bianca sighed, seeing the defeat. "It used Tickle, then followed it up with a Double-Slap, wow!" Iris exclaimed, amazed at the combo that Minccino made.

"Hm... Some battling style! Minccino is no doubt filled with rich and full flavor!" Cilan complimented. Takeru sighed as he returned his Flying Type back to his Pokéball, before glaring back at the Chinchilla Pokémon.

"Okay... This Minccino is getting on my nerves!" Takeru snapped as Minccino smirked at his two wins in a row, especially against evolved opponents. Suddenly, Minccino ran up to a tree, grabbing the Badge Case in its mouth.

It then ran off, much to Bianca's despair. "Oh no... Minccino got away!" Bianca groaned as the Kanto trainer turned to the others. "It wouldn't have happened if you talked so much!" Ash snapped.

"And miss out on giving the two of you some great advice? Don't you see? Ash? Takeru? I really want to catch that Minccino... So, be dears and help me out, won't you, boys?" Bianca pleaded.

Ash narrowed his eyes in confusion as the Nuvema boy sighed. This was some girl that they were messing with. She had no shame when it comes to a new problem coming out.

"Remember, Ash! You'll get your Badge and Badge Case back! And Takeru, I will also help you in avenging your Tranquill! So, it's all good!" Bianca reminded. Ash frowned, seeing no other way to win.

"I guess we've got no choice..." Ash groaned. "You can say that again..." Takeru agreed with a shook of his head. Pikachu and Riolu sighed in disappointment, while Bianca cheered.

"Oh, happy days! Now, I'll catch Minccino for sure!" Bianca exclaimed. "I was going to Nacrene City to win a new Badge... Ugh..." Ash groaned as his head fell towards the ground.

Takeru smiled nervously as he gave a pat on the Kanto trainer's back in comfort. "But, Ash! Nacrene City is just over the mountain! No need to get upset!" Cilan reminded with a chuckle.

Both boys looked up to see the mountain that Cilan was talking about. "Well, that's some mountain..." Ash muttered, seeing that it was big. "Well... We still have plenty of time..." Takeru reminded in comfort.

"I guess so..." Ash agreed as he rubbed the back of his head. So, with everything agreed, everyone looked around to see if they could find the Chinchilla Pokémon. But, the Normal Type was nowhere to be seen.

"Man, oh man! It's like Minccino vanished!" Ash stated as he frowned. "Pika Pika..." Pikachu agreed. "Can you sense Minccino yet, Riolu?" Takeru asked as Riolu closed his eyes, searching for Minccino's aura.

_"I've got nothing yet, big bro..."_ Riolu grumbled. The Emanation Pokémon kept searching for new aura as Bianca turned to Cilan with a question. "Wait, do you happen to have any shiny pots or cookware?" Bianca asked.

Cilan blinked in surprise, before answering. "Uh... Sure... Have a look." Cilan answered as he looked over in his backpack. He gave Bianca a dinner cover pan, along with a shiny spoon.

"See the shine here? There's nothing like polished flatware!" Cilan explained. Bianca swiped the spoon from the Connoisseur with a chuckle. "Great! It's perfect! Now, I'll just do this..." Bianca giggled.

She began making the spoon dirty, as Cilan gasped. "STOP! My nice, clean spoon!" Cilan yelled in shock. As the spoon got completely dirty, Bianca held it up with a proud smile.

"There we go!" Bianca giggled as Cilan groaned, face palming as two of his silver cookware is about to suffer something very big. "What are you doing?" Ash asked, confused of her method of dirtying the spoon.

"Mwa ha ha ha! I figured out on how to lure Minccino!" Bianca cackled as she ran off with the two silver cookware. "Of course... If something is dirty, Minccino will come to clean it up!" Takeru exclaimed.

Cilan moaned, still unhappy about his clean spoon that became a filthy spoon. How will the bait work out? Find out soon in the next chapter! Stay tuned for some more crazy actions!

To be continued...

**Takeru's Team:**

**Riolu: (M): (Force Palm, Blaze Kick, ThunderPunch, Dig)**

**Joltik: (M): (Electro Ball, Electroweb, String Shot, Signal Beam)**

**Tranquill: (M): (Air Cutter, Gust, Roost, Aerial Ace)**

**Tepig: (M): (Flamethrower, Smog, Flame Charge, Rollout)**

**Egg: (N/A): This Egg is not even close to hatching yet**

Next chapters:

**Chapter 26: Minccino to Sweep Up!**

**Chapter 27: The Nacrene Museum Haunted Rumors!?**

**Chapter 28: The Angry Spirit to Overcome!**

**Chapter 29: The Nacrene Gym Battle! Pt.1**

**Chapter 30: The Nacrene Gym Battle! Pt. 2**

**Next chapter preview:**

Cilan: Oh no no no!... Not my beautiful clean spoon... And even my shiny pan has to suffer along with this mess!

Ash: There is just no way I'm going to give up without getting my Badge Case and my Trio Badge back!

Bianca: Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! I just can't stand it! Minccino is acting so cute and tough, that I just want to catch it right now!

Takeru: Catching it will be difficult, seeing that neither your Pignite and my Tranquill was unable to defeat it.

Iris: If we try to lure Minccino with another dirty object, there's a chance that it could be lured in!

Bianca: Mwa ha ha ha! And I've got just the plan to get those things back, along with catching Minccino!


	26. Minccino to Sweep Up!

**Chapter 26: Minccino to Sweep Up!**

Last time on "Pokémon Unova Journey", Ash, Takeru, Iris, and Cilan were all heading for Nacrene City, which they got closer to, only to be stopped by an energetic girl named Bianca.

It turns out that Professor Juniper had forgotten to give both Ash and Takeru their Unova Gym Badge cases, which Bianca was assigned to deliver it to them. However, being in Bianca's bag for so long made the two cases dusty.

Thanks to Riolu, Takeru's Badge Case was now squeaky clean. As for Ash, his case was snatched off by a Pokémon, which revealed to be a Minccino, who likes to clean things up.

Both Bianca and Takeru attempted to fight Minccino and get Ash's Badge Case back with their Pignite and Tranquill. Unfortunately, with Minccino having high leveled attacks and speed, it was like impossible to do so.

The hunt for Minccino and the badge case continued, until Bianca got an idea to use Cilan's silverware spoon and his dinner pan to lure Minccino in and trap it! Will this plan succeed?

And will Ash get his Badge Case back, along with Cilan getting his silverwares back? "STOP! My nice, clean spoon!" Cilan yelled in shock. As the spoon got completely dirty, Bianca held it up with a proud smile.

"There we go!" Bianca giggled as Cilan groaned, face palming as two of his silver cookware is about to suffer something very big. "What are you doing?" Ash asked, confused of her method of dirtying the spoon.

"Mwa ha ha ha! I figured out on how to lure Minccino!" Bianca cackled as she ran off with the two silver cookware. "Of course... If something is dirty, Minccino will come to clean it up!" Takeru exclaimed.

Cilan moaned, still unhappy about his clean spoon that became a filthy spoon. He was still moaning over it when they hid behind the bushes as Bianca had set up the spoon trap.

"No... My beautiful, clean spoon..." Cilan moaned as both Takeru and Riolu gave him a pat of comfort. "I wonder if this is gonna work?" Ash asked as he peeked to see the trap.

"I don't know... I mean, doesn't it look a bit suspicious from here?" Takeru asked. Bianca shushed the two boys until there was rustling on the bushes. Everyone perked their heads up as they laid low.

Out of the bushes, Minccino popped out, curious about seeing a dirty spoon. "See? What did I tell you?" Bianca giggled as the Kanto trainer widened his eyes. "You were right!" Ash agreed.

They all watched Minccino inspecting it as the Normal Type Pokémon frowned. "It sure doesn't like the dirt..." Iris pointed out. As she said that, Minccino began to clean the spoon, using its tail.

Right at that moment, Bianca made her chance. "Here we go!" Bianca called out, pulling on the string that was attached to the stick. Minccino turned, startled to see the dinner pan fall, trapping it!

"I did it! I just caught Minccino!" Bianca cheered. Then, the Nuvema boy inspected closer, seeing a flaw in the plan. "I don't think so... Look!" Takeru called, pointing at the moving dinner pan.

Everyone turned in surprise to see that Minccino was still moving, despite of being under the dinner pan. "Hold on! Wait, Minccino! Come back! You can't just walk away!" Bianca called.

But, it was too late as the Normal Type was gone, leaving Bianca to groan as her head fell. "Oh no... It's gone..." Bianca groaned. "And it's got my spoon, too!" Cilan added with a groan of his own.

"It's just like I thought... Battling is the only way to get to Minccino!" Ash pointed out, as Iris frowned. "But, we're at a disadvantage!" Iris reminded. "We could get clobbered by Tickle when we're at close range!" Cilan added.

Takeru then got the Kanto trainer's idea and smiled, shaking his head. "I wouldn't be so sure about that..." Takeru replied as Riolu got onto his shoulder. _"You have a plan, big bro?"_ Riolu asked.

"Yeah... I think both Ash and I got one!" Takeru replied with a nod. Riolu smirked, seeing on how the plan might work. "Yeah! We got this one! No need to worry!" Ash assured.

The two boys nodded to each other before they ran ahead, heading to where Minccino had disappeared off to. Iris, Cilan, and Bianca all followed, all wondering of what their plan could be.

As they ran across the shallow stream, the five trainers all spotted the Chinchilla Pokémon at a tree. It seemed to be enjoying its tidiness by cleaning up Cilan's spoon, polishing it.

"There's Minccino over there!" Cilan pointed out as the group hid behind the rock. "And it's got your Badge Case too, Ash!" Iris pointed out. Takeru placed a hand on Ash's shoulder, nodding.

"Okay, Ash. Just do what you planned to do!" Takeru called. "You got it!" Ash agreed as he hopped over the rock. "Snivy, I choose you!" Ash called as he summoned his Grass Snake Pokémon.

Snivy appeared, facing the Chinchilla Pokémon, who spotted Ash and his Grass Type. It made a glare as it hopped off the tree, facing the two. "Wow... Ash has got all sorts of Pokémon, doesn't he?" Bianca asked.

"What else do you have besides Pignite?" Cilan asked. "Only Pignite!" Bianca answered, leaving Takeru, Iris, and Cilan to all fall over in shock and disappointment. "You're kidding, right?" Iris asked.

"Hey! Using Flame Charge by itself is good enough to win a lot!" Bianca reminded as Cilan asked his question with a frown. "How long have you been in on your journey?" Cilan asked.

"I've done a lot of training at home... But, my journey is brand new!" Bianca answered again, leaving Cilan and Iris to frown even deeper as they both sighed, after hearing Bianca's progress.

"Well... I never got to hear the end of it..." Takeru grumbled as Riolu face palmed, shaking his head with disappointment. _"Only one Pokémon? Big bro... Isn't that kind of risky?"_ Riolu asked.

"It really is... Even with the evolved Pokémon." Takeru answered as he glanced at Bianca, who was still cherishing over her training memories back at home. Bianca stood up, explaining.

"You see, my father really didn't want me to leave, as he is worried and everything..." Bianca explained as the three made their comments. "Protected like a vintage wine..." Cilan mumbled.

"Or a princess, right?" Iris asked. "Or maybe, a maiden?" Takeru added as the energetic girl giggled. "Right! I've only got two badges!" Bianca explained as Takeru frowned.

"Two Badges? You're our upper classmen?" Takeru asked as he widened his eyes before his head fell in disappointment. _"We beat Trip even if he had two badges..."_ Riolu added with a sigh.

"Snivy! Attract!" Ash cried out. Snivy jumped in the air as she prepared to throw out hearts. "Attract?" Bianca repeated in confusion. Cilan nodded with a smile, seeing Ash's plan.

"Mm. Good strategy!" Cilan agreed. "With Attract active, Minccino shouldn't be able to move much around quickly!" Iris pointed out. Just then, the Nuvema boy frowned, seeing of what's about to happen.

"I don't think so..." Takeru replied as Minccino dodged Attract, much to Ash's annoyance and Bianca's amusement. "Minccino dodged it!" Bianca pointed out as the Chinchilla Pokémon mischievously smirked.

It then winked at Snivy, throwing hearts at her. "Uh oh..." Iris gasped, seeing the move. "Is that what I think it is?" Cilan asked. "It's Attract! Snivy is in trouble now!" Takeru pointed out.

He was right as the hearts surrounded and affected Snivy, causing her to fall in love with Minccino. "Oh man... I didn't know that Minccino could use Attract as well!" Ash admitted as he widened his eyes in surprise.

"Pika..." Pikachu replied as he ran over, seeing that the battle went into the Chinchilla Pokémon's hands. "Okay, Snivy! Return!" Ash called as he recalled his Grass Type back to his Pokéball.

Pikachu then ran over, volunteering to battle. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu replied. "You'll do it?" Ash asked. "Pika!" Pikachu replied with a nod. "Hey, Ash. Mind if I join in the fun?" Takeru asked.

He and Riolu ran over as Ash grinned with a nod. "Sure! Two heads are better than one!" Ash agreed. The Nuvema boy chuckled as Riolu put on a battle stance. _"Bring it, Minccino!"_ Riolu barked in challenge.

Pikachu glared at Minccino, who smirked in amusement. "That's great! A Fighting Type like Riolu should put both Ash and Takeru in an advantage! And since they're all boys, Attract won't do a thing!" Cilan pointed out.

"Hee hee! I can't wait!" Bianca giggled, excited to see a two against one battle. "Pikachu! Use Iron Tail!" Ash shouted out. Pikachu charged, launching an Iron Tail at Minccino, who dodged it.

"Now's your chance, Riolu! Blaze Kick!" Takeru shouted. "Alright! Here goes!" Riolu barked out as he launched into the air, aiming his blazing foot at the Chinchilla Pokémon.

The Normal Type widened his eyes in surprise as he took a direct hit from the Fire Type attack. "Alright! Nice, Takeru! Riolu!" Ash complimented. The Nuvema boy nodded as Riolu gave a thumbs up.

"Wow... Both Riolu and Pikachu are working together in sync!" Bianca pointed out, seeing that Minccino left its guard down by dodging Pikachu's attack, but not counting Riolu's.

"Pikachu, use Quick Attack!" Ash called. Pikachu charged after the retreating Minccino, as it looked like a race was about to begin. "Now Dig, Riolu!" Takeru shouted, pointing at the ground.

Riolu nodded and had no trouble, digging on the hard ground. "Pikachu is trying to pick up the pace on Minccino's speed and Riolu is making a sneak attack! Excellent double strategy!" Cilan complimented.

"Pikachu! Use Iron Tail one more time!" Ash called. Pikachu leapt in the air, slamming the Steel Type move as Minccino countered with a Double-Slap attack. The two collided, skidding away from each other.

"Minccino came back with a Double-Slap!" Cilan pointed out. "Amazing!" Bianca complimented. The two little Pokémon landed on the ground, as Minccino was preparing another move!

It rolled up its ears, preparing a Hyper Voice attack! "Ah! It's about to use Hyper Voice! Now, Riolu!" Takeru shouted. Under the Normal Type, Riolu punched Minccino into the air, interrupting Hyper Voice!

_"Take this!"_ Riolu growled as Minccino landed on his back, groaning. "Wow! Nice countermove!" Iris complimented. But, that all changed when the Chinchilla Pokémon got up, recovering from the surprise attack.

"It withstood it!?" Takeru gasped. Once again, Minccino rolled up its ears, shooting a Hyper Voice attack once again! This time, it immobilized both Pikachu and Riolu as they braced themselves.

_"AH! That's... a loud... voice..."_ Riolu yelped as he covered his long, floppy ears. "Pika..." Pikachu grunted as he held on. "Pikachu!" "Riolu, stay strong!" The two boys shouted out.

"It's Hyper Voice again!" Cilan exclaimed. "That move was able to stop Pignite on his tracks!" Iris exclaimed, recalling on how Pignite lost to the cunning Chinchilla Pokémon.

"But, it looks like both Riolu and Pikachu are totally handling it!" Bianca reminded, seeing the two holding on. After for a while, the Normal Type ended the Hyper Voice as it jumped behind the two opponents!

"Here comes Tickle! Look out, you two!" Bianca reminded. The energetic girl was right as Minccino went back and forth from Pikachu to Riolu, and Riolu to Pikachu. It began tickling under their arm, as they both tried to resist it!

_"Pfft... S-Stop... Stop it! That... GAH!"_ Riolu moaned as he tried to resist the Tickle attack. Even Pikachu was having a hard time resisting the Tickle attack as it went on back and forth.

"Stay strong, Pikachu!" "You can resist it, Riolu!" Ash and Takeru encouraged, allowing their Pokémon to both hold it much longer. Tears looked like they were welling up in their eyes as they kept holding on.

"Both Riolu and Pikachu are totally tough! Go for it, you two!" Bianca cheered for the two Pokémon. Suddenly, after a lot of tickling, Minccino started to grow very exhausted as it got off the two, panting.

Riolu fell to his knees and panted, also fatigued from resisting Tickle. "Now, Pikachu! Zap Cannon! And Riolu! Use Aura Sphere!" Bianca cried out. Both boys and their Pokémon sweat dropped at the girl.

"Pikachu doesn't know how to use Zap Cannon..." Ash grumbled. "And Riolu doesn't know how to use Aura Sphere... yet..." Takeru reminded with a sigh. "Hey! Just give it a shot!" Bianca retorted. Both starters sighed in disappointment.

There really was no ending to this girl, was there? "Come on, Bianca! Just watch! Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Ash shouted. Pikachu shot the Electric Type attack, electrifying Minccino!

"Now, Riolu! Wrap this up with a Force Palm attack!" Takeru called. "On it! Here goes!" Riolu grunted as he leapt in the air, slamming his palm on Minccino, which exploded on it.

The Normal Type was sent blasting as it rolled back with exhaustion. The Chinchilla Pokémon managed to get up, but was still fatigued as it swayed around a little, weak from the attacks it took.

"Great job, Riolu!" "Nice one, Pikachu!" Takeru and Ash complimented as their two starters leapt back from the attacks they had given to their tricky opponent. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu exclaimed.

"Thanks, big bro... Ugh... I still feel tired..." Riolu groaned. The Nuvema boy chuckled as he held his Fighting Type Pokémon in his arms. Immediately, Bianca ran over, as she tried to search for an empty Pokéball.

"Oh please, boys! Let me do it! I wanna catch it... Let me take over..." Bianca exclaimed as she searched her bag for a Pokéball. Minccino was starting to recover as Bianca continued her search.

"I know I put my Pokéball in here somewhere..." Bianca grumbled as she searched deeper. "Come on, Bianca. Minccino won't last long in that weakened state! Hurry!" Takeru called.

"Aww... man... If I only had cleaned my bag, I wouldn't have this problem in the first place!" Bianca groaned. But, it was too late as the Chinchilla Pokémon finally recovered from the battle.

"Ah! Minccino is getting away!" Ash called, seeing the Normal Type escaping. "Ah ha! I finally got it!" Bianca exclaimed as she took out the Pokéball, only that it looked very dusty.

When she took the ball out, Minccino turned in surprise, seeing a dirty object as Iris frowned. "Why am I not surprised that Bianca's got such a dirty Pokéball?" Iris asked with a frown.

Bianca noticed the dust as she tried to blow it away. At that moment, Minccino grew attracted to the dirty Pokéball and ran for it, as he zipped past Pikachu, much to his surprise.

It ran over to Bianca, climbing onto her as it used its tail to clean the dirty Pokéball. However, the ball suddenly opened, due to the tail accidentally pressing the button of it!

Minccino blinked in surprise as he was sucked into the Pokéball. It shook in Bianca's hand at the moment, before stopping, showing that Bianca has caught the little Chinchilla Pokémon.

The girl blinked, before turning to both Ash and Takeru. "You see? I caught it." Bianca replied as Ash yelped back in surprise. "No way... That dusty Pokéball had lured it in..." Takeru grumbled.

Cilan and Iris came over as Cilan made his deduction. "I suspect that the dirty Pokéball was too hard for Minccino to pass up with!" Cilan explained. "Yeah, you're right. I think it's better to say that people are lucky than good." Iris added.

She then frowned, looking at the girl. "The question is, are those two going to get along?" Iris asked. "Of course! If you take Bianca's unique personality, and compare it with all of Minccino's tidying talents... What a combination!" Cilan chuckled.

"That's a Pokémon Connoisseur for you... Whatever he just said." Ash agreed, still being confused with the evaluation part. "Ash... You still have a long way to go to know about Cilan..." Takeru chuckled.

"Whatever! It doesn't matter now! Because I just caught Minccino!" Bianca giggled as she raised the Pokéball into the air. As for the Kanto trainer, he climbed up the tree, on the branch.

He grabbed the Unova Badge Case with a smile. "Yes! I finally got my Badge Case back- Ah!" Ash yelled. He fell on the ground, with the dinner pan and spoon hitting his head, causing him to fall over.

"Pika Pi!?" Pikachu called, running over. "I'm fine! No need to worry!" Ash assured as he tried to get up, only for Takeru to help him up. "Ash... You never cease to amaze me..." Takeru admitted.

_"Ha ha..."_ Riolu laughed nervously as he rubbed the back of his head.

**Later...**

"Here you go! All the Pokémon that you left in our care is feeling much better now!" Nurse Joy explained as she gave the Pokéballs back to Ash and Bianca, while giving Tranquill's Pokéball to Takeru.

Riolu climbed onto his human brother's shoulder with a grin. As of now, the group was at the Pokémon Center, getting all of their Pokémon restored back to health. "Thank you, Nurse Joy!" Ash, Takeru, and Bianca thanked.

Then, the nurse took out Ash's pale and light brown egg, with Takeru's red and black egg. "And Ash? Takeru? I gave both of your eggs a thorough check up through. It's healthy as it can be!" Nurse Joy explained.

"Awesome!" Ash commented as he took the Egg from the nurse. Takeru looked at his Egg with an approving nod and a smile. "What kind of Egg are those, you two?" Bianca asked.

"To tell you the truth, I don't even know myself!" Ash admitted. "I'm kind of stumped as well..." Takeru admitted with a sheepish smile. "Aw... Hey, Ash! How about a battle?" Bianca asked.

The Kanto trainer turned to the energetic girl with a grin. "Sounds good to me! Let's do it!" Ash declared. Then, Bianca rose up, smirking at the Nuvema boy, who blinked in surprise.

"And once Ash is done, you're next, Takeru!" Bianca warned, pointing at the boy as both he and Riolu sweat dropped at her declaration. "Whatever you say, Bianca..." Takeru chuckled.

_"Yeah... Whatever..."_ Riolu agreed, sighing. And so, everyone headed outside for both Ash and Bianca's first battle together. The two trainers were at the battlefield, facing each other.

"Okay! We'll use one Pokémon each! The battle will be over when one of our Pokémon is unable to continue!" Ash explained, making the rules for their battle. "Right!" Bianca agreed.

Takeru, Iris, and Cilan all watched at the sidelines as Iris smiled. "This is gonna be fun, although, Bianca has more badges than both you and Ash!" Iris replied as the Nuvema boy frowned.

"Must you say that right next to me?" Takeru grumbled as he face palmed. _"Iris..."_ Riolu groaned as he imitated his human brother. "Well, it'll be tasty as well! With a unique flavor!" Cilan added.

"I'm going out with my Pignite! Let's go!" Bianca called, summoning her Fire Type to battle. The three blinked in surprise of seeing the Unova starter. "No Minccino? Why?" Iris asked, confused.

"Okay... So if it's a Fire Type, I'm gonna have to go with-" Ash started, only for him to be interrupted by the girl. "I know! You've just GOT to use Pikachu! Right?" Bianca asked.

Ash grew bewildered at her decision as Pikachu blinked in surprise. "That's... completely pathetic..." Takeru commented, seeing that Bianca was making the decision of choosing Ash's Pokémon.

Nevertheless, the Electric Type ran to face Pignite as Ash grinned at him. "Hey, Pikachu! Are you up for it?" Ash asked. "Pikachu!" Pikachu agreed with a smile. The Kanto trainer nodded and began the battle.

**Bianca: Pignite VS Ash: Pikachu**

"Alright, let's go!" Ash called. "Pika!" Pikachu cried out as he charged at Pignite. "Take Down, now!" Bianca shouted. The Fire Type charged at the Electric Type with his powerful attack.

Pignite quickly bashed Pikachu into the air as Bianca continued. "Now! Use Heat Crash!" Bianca shouted. Immediately after using Take Down, Pignite jumped and smashed Pikachu to the ground with his powerful attack.

"Ah! Pikachu!" Iris gasped. "Take Down... Followed by a powerful Heat Crash... This is critical for Ash..." Takeru commented as he narrowed his eyes. "Pikachu, come on! Get up!" Ash called.

As the smoke cleared, the Electric Type got up, ready for some more. Bianca was inspired by the determination. "Wow! Pikachu never gives up!" Bianca squealed as Iris frowned.

"I'm not sure I'm liking where this is going!" Iris grumbled. "I tend to agree..." Cilan agreed as he looked at the current situation. Both the Nuvema boy and his Emanation Pokémon sighed at this.

"Still... Pikachu resisted the two attacks, so he should be fine... for now." Takeru reminded. "Alright, Pignite! Flame Charge!" Bianca called. Pignite responded, by stomping as fast as he could.

He then charged with the Flame Charge attack, as Ash countered with his move. "Quick, Pikachu! Use Volt Tackle!" Ash shouted. Pikachu charged towards the rampaging Pignite with his special move.

The two attacks collided, creating a huge explosion. "Pikachu!" "Pignite, no!" Both Ash and Bianca gasped. As the dust cleared, both Pokémon were sent right back, but only Pikachu stood standing.

"Pignite, no!" Bianca gasped as she saw her Pokémon fainted. "Pignite is unable to battle! Pikachu is the winner! Which means that this match goes to Ash!" Takeru declared, gesturing towards Ash.

**Winner: Ash**

"Alright! Nice work, Pikachu!" Ash exclaimed. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu cried out in overjoy for their victory.

Later, after Pignite was healed, Bianca was facing Takeru this time. "For this battle, we'll have a two on two battle! And like your last battle, the same rules apply, except no substitutions are allowed!" Takeru declared.

"Alright! This one, I just have to win!" Bianca declared as she got her hat on and ready. Ash and Pikachu watched on the sidelines, as they were both excited of seeing the battle.

"I wonder how Takeru is going to battle for this one?" Ash asked. "We'll just have to find out by watching!" Cilan declared. "Alright! Come on out, Pignite!" Bianca called, summoning her Fire Type.

Takeru narrowed his eyes in confusion. "Pignite again? Oh well... Tepig, I need your help!" Takeru called, as he summoned his own Fire Type to battle. Bianca immediately swooned to the little one.

"SO CUTE! I can't believe how your Tepig is so cute, Takeru!" Bianca exclaimed. Takeru, Riolu, and Tepig all sweat dropped as the Fire Pig Pokémon blushed at the compliment.

"Thanks for the compliment, Bianca... But the talk is over now! Let's get this battle going!" Takeru reminded. "Alright then! Let's go!" Bianca agreed.

**Bianca: Pignite + 1 VS Takeru: Tepig + 1**

"Pignite, use Flame Charge, let's go!" Bianca shouted. Pignite stomped several times again before charging with his speedy move. "Tepig! Use Rollout!" Takeru shouted, pointing at Pignite.

Tepig nodded and rolled around, colliding with his evolved form's Flame Charge as they both skidded back. Pignite had his Flame Charge negated as Tepig continued on with Rollout.

The attack bashed Pignite several times, with each hits getting stronger. "Oh no, Pignite!" Bianca gasped. "Of course... Rollout gets stronger for every hit it makes!" Cilan pointed out.

"Keep it going, Tepig!" Ash cried out. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu agreed. One more Rollout bashed Pignite away as the evolved Fire Type grunted in pain, feeling weak already. "Pignite! Stay strong!" Bianca pleaded.

"Now! Tepig, use Flamethrower!" Takeru yelled. Tepig leapt, as he shot his powerful Fire Type attack, blasting Pignite away to the ground, and causing it to faint. "Ah! No, Pignite!" Bianca gasped.

**Bianca: 1 Pokémon**

"WHAT!?" Ash yelped in shock. "Wow... Tepig had no trouble defeating Pignite, unlike Pikachu..." Iris replied in amazement as Ash and Pikachu together slumped down with sighs.

"Oh man... If Takeru was able to beat Pignite easily... then I'm gonna have a tough time with him..." Ash groaned. "Pikachu..." Pikachu agreed. Bianca thanked Pignite and returned it to its Pokéball.

"Thank you for your help, Pignite... Alright now, Minccino! Come on out!" Bianca called, summoning the Chinchilla Pokémon, who was ready to battle. "Alright, Minccino! Let's try a Double-Slap attack!" Bianca squealed.

Minccino charged at Tepig, who got ready. "Counter with Flamethrower, Tepig!" Takeru shouted. Tepig leapt, dodging Double-Slap as he blew a Flamethrower attack, which burned Minccino.

"Oh no, Minccino!... You'll pay for that! Minccino, use Hyper Voice!" Bianca shouted. Recovering, Minccino rolled up his ears and unleashed a loud voice as the Nuvema boy got ready.

"Dodge, Tepig!" Takeru shouted. Tepig got out of the way, causing the Hyper Voice attack to miss. "Now, use Flame Charge!" Takeru called. Flame Charge did its work, as it bashed into Minccino.

"Oh no you don't! Minccino! Hyper Voice again!" Bianca shouted. Minccino leapt in the air, shooting another Hyper Voice attack, which hit Tepig this time, who grunted in pain.

"Tepig!?" Takeru gasped. "You can do it, Tepig!" Riolu barked, cheering for the Fire Type. "Tickle, Minccino!" Bianca called. Minccino smirked as it began to tickle the Fire Pig Pokémon's belly.

It began to work, as Tepig started to laugh, trying to resist the move. "We won't let that get to us! Use Flame Charge, once more!" Takeru called. Fire surrounded Tepig, as it burnt Minccino at the same time!

The Chinchilla Pokémon squealed as it jumped around with fire burning its tail. "Eek! Fire! Fire!" Bianca panicked. "Wrap this up, Tepig! With a Flamethrower attack!" Takeru shouted.

As Minccino was panicking, the Flamethrower hit directly at him, knocking him out. "Oh no!" Bianca gasped. The smoke cleared as it showed Minccino unable to battle, like Pignite.

"It looks like Tepig wins the final round!" Takeru chuckled as his Fire Type flared his nose up with a victory cry.

**Winner: Takeru**

"Alright!" Ash and Iris cried out together. "Pika Pika!" _"You did it, big bro!"_ Pikachu and Riolu cheered together. "Well, that was a delicious and spicy flavored battle out there!" Cilan chuckled.

Bianca returned her Normal Type with a sigh, thanking it for its work. "Thanks for your hard work, Minccino." Bianca thanked. After she put the Pokéball away, she ran up to both Ash and Takeru.

"Hey! May I say something to the two of you?" Bianca asked, as both Ash and Takeru turned in confusion. The energetic girl chuckled as she cleared her throat, before making her declaration.

"I may have lost today to the two of you, but I am just starting out on my journey! Which means that Pignite and Minccino will be stronger! Lot stronger!" Bianca assured as Ash nervously gave a nod.

"Okay..." Ash replied as he blinked. "So! Good luck to you both at the Nacrene Gym! See you two boys later!" Bianca giggled as she waved the group farewell before leaving the Center.

At the sudden farewell, Takeru sweat drops. "She says that and immediately leaves? What a troublesome trainer..." Takeru grumbled. "You can say that again..." Ash agreed with a small frown.

"Well, she sure can move..." Iris pointed out. "And she can move at her own pace!" Cilan added. Riolu and Pikachu both shook their heads with nervous smiles as the Kanto trainer suddenly grinned.

"Whatever! I just won a battle, and my new Badge Case is nice and clean!" Ash reminded as he took out his new Unova Badge Case. Takeru took out his as well, inspecting it.

"And so have I..." Takeru agreed as he looked at the Trio Badge inside. The Kanto trainer nodded with a grin as he held his case in the air. "Alright! Pretty soon, we'll both have our second badge soon!" Ash cried out.

"Pi Pikachu!" Pikachu agreed. The Kanto trainer raised his arm along with Takeru's arm up, much to his startle. "W-Whoa! Hey!" Takeru complained as the others laughed at the two boys.

And with that done, the destination for Nacrene City is near! Both Ash and Takeru have met a new rival named Bianca, who seemed to be an energetic girl, but a nice rival to consider.

Now, the four trainers are back on track for the Nacrene Gym! What will await there for them? Stay tuned for some more Pokémon actions!

To be continued...

**Takeru's Team:**

**Riolu: (M): (Force Palm, Blaze Kick, ThunderPunch, Dig)**

**Joltik: (M): (Electro Ball, Signal Beam, String Shot, Electroweb)**

**Tranquill: (M): (Air Cutter, Gust, Aerial Ace, Roost)**

**Tepig: (M): (Flamethrower, Smog, Flame Charge, Rollout)**

**Egg: (N/A): This Egg is not even close to hatching yet...**

Next chapters:

**Chapter 27: The Nacrene Museum Haunted Rumors!?**

**Chapter 28: The Angry Spirit to Overcome!**

**Chapter 29: The Nacrene Gym Battle! Pt. 1**

**Chapter 30: The Nacrene Gym Battle! Pt. 2**

**Chapter 31: Ash VS Takeru! Ash's Training!**

**Next chapter preview:**

Hawes: Ahh! Please, help me! This museum is starting to give me the creeps! That Dome Fossil is following me everywhere!

Iris: A floating Dome Fossil? Could there be an angry spirit in this museum? Maybe it's angry with you somehow!

Cilan: I'd say it's just some imagination that have caused all of this to happen! Angry spirits shouldn't really exist.

Takeru: A-Angry spirit? And a haunted museum? Ugh... This is gonna be some pain... You know I can't take ghost stuff...

Ash: I say we should all crack the case and find out what's really happening at the Nacrene Museum!

Iris: Right! My best guess is the angry spirit! We should spend the night here in case if something happens... like now!


	27. The Nacrene Museum Haunted Rumors?

**Chapter 27: The Nacrene Museum Haunted Rumors!?**

"We're finally at Nacrene City!" Ash exclaimed. "Pika!" Pikachu agreed happily as the Electric Type looked around. "And look! Check out on all those cool buildings!" Iris pointed out.

"They're actually unused warehouses, where many people leaves it to the artists!" Cilan explained as he gestured towards the art and paintings that were done on the warehouse buildings.

"And because of that, Nacrene City is known as the City of Art!" Cilan explained as Takeru looked around. "I wonder how these people made the arts creative. Now the warehouses look like art schools." Takeru commented.

Riolu blinked as he awed in amazement, looking around. _"Is the Nacrene Gym around here, big bro? I really want to get started in our second Gym battle!"_ Riolu barked out with determination.

Takeru smirked as he rubbed Riolu's head softly, causing Riolu to moan happily. "We'll be there, Riolu. Just be patient." Takeru promised with a smile. _"That's great!"_ Riolu barked back happily.

He gave a thumbs up back, leaving the Nuvema boy to chuckle. "Wow... There's beautiful art everywhere you look!" Iris exclaimed as she looked around, seeing the many textures and colors.

"The city is also admired for its style! So, it's the city of admiration, too!" Cilan chuckled. "Well, you could call it whatever you want, but I came here in Nacrene City for one reason! A Gym battle!" Ash explained.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu agreed with a determined look. "The city's museum is just to be sited as the Nacrene Gym!" Cilan explained with a smile. That left the Kanto trainer amazed with the fact.

"Yeah? How awesome is it to have a Gym inside the museum? Let's go there now!" Ash declared. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu cried out in agreement. So, the four trainers all headed to the Museum for the Nacrene Museum.

But, as they all got there, the group got a huge surprise. "Huh!? It's closed!" Iris pointed out, seeing the no entry sign. Ash frowned as he glared at the museum doors with his demand.

"I want to challenge the Nacrene Gym Leader right now! Is anybody here!? Hello!" Ash cried out. He ran up to the front doors, as he knocked on it, trying to see if anyone was inside.

The Kanto trainer pulled on the two doorknobs, then sighed in defeat. "Looks like the Gym Leader is not in a mood for battling today..." Takeru sighed as he shook his head with disappointment.

_"Aw... That's too bad..."_ Riolu sighed in disappointment as he rubbed the back of his head. Cilan blinked, noticing a sign at the museum wall, showing an exhibit like show of the museum.

"Huh... A poster..." Cilan pointed out as he walked over. "Secret artifacts exhibit?" Iris asked as she looked closer at the poster. "And judging by the dates... It's today!" Cilan pointed out.

The Connoisseur looked at the door as the Nuvema boy frowned. "Hold on... If the exhibit is today, wouldn't that mean the museum should be open right now?" Takeru asked in suspicion.

"You're right..." Ash agreed as he knocked on the door once more. "Excuse me!" Ash called one more time. A few seconds later, the Kanto trainer frowned. "Nothing is happening..." Ash replied.

Just then, a loud scream shook the museum, startling the four trainers. Ash, Takeru, Iris, and Cilan all widened their eyes in surprise before they nodded to each other, knowing something was wrong.

**(Pokémon: BW Best Wishes Opening: Be An Arrow! (English Subbed))**

(Ash, Takeru, Cilan, and Iris are running with Pikachu, Riolu, Pansage, and Axew, with colorful arrows flying above them as they ran to a light!)

**_One swiftly running arrow!_**

(A blue pillar and orange pillar appears, showing Ash and Pikachu, with Takeru and Riolu)

_**One supple arrow!**_

(A purple pillar appears, showing Iris and Axew)

_**One thinking arrow!**_

(A yellow green pillar appears, showing Cilan)

_**That's us now!**_

(Ash, Takeru, Cilan, and Iris stand together as they move towards the air together)

**_Cross the green mountain, remove the white clouds_**

(The Japanese opening appears)

_**Let's colorfully push through the wilderness, become an arrow!**_

(A group of wild Pokémon from the five regions run or fly along)

_**Even if we suddenly turn around, twist, and shake**_

(Ash, Cilan, Takeru, and Iris are running alongside with the Water Type Pokémon on the sea)

(Meloetta suddenly appears, snatching Ash's hat from his head)

_**There's no way that we'll get separated!**_

(In Prof. Oak's laboratory, all of Ash's Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh were there; Charizard gives a thumbs up to the screen)

_**Sometimes I can no longer see the road, and don't know where to go**_

(Ash and Takeru were stopped by giant pillars, blocking their way)

_**But you will always be by my side!**_

(Pikachu and Riolu appears, with Pikachu using Thunderbolt, while Riolu uses Aura Sphere)

(Both trainers and Pokémon smile happily at each other)

_**Even the bright sun is hidden by the clouds sometimes**_

(Keldeo, Cobalion, Virizion, and Terrakion stands together on top of an ice)

(Kyurem appears, turning into either Black or White Kyurem)

_**But meetings will always bring light!**_

(Cynthia and Alder smile at the four trainers standing at the bottom)

(Hikaru and Dawn comes by, with Infernape using Flamethrower, as Piplup uses Hydro Pump)

(Jessie, James, and Meowth let out evil smirks)

_**One too hot arrow!**_

(Stephan and Sawk pose together, standing together)

_**Two competitive arrows!**_

(Trip and Servine appears together after the dust clears)

_**Three helpful arrows!**_

(Bianca comes by with Pignite, as the two fall together)

_**So the heart will never break!**_

(Trip, Dawn, Hikaru, Iris, Ash, Takeru, Cilan, Bianca, and Stephan stand together with their Pokémon partners)

_**Aim forward as an arrow!**_

(Everyone shoots in the air, towards the sky)

_**Shine greater than even now as an arrow!**_  
_**Thrust toward your dream!**_

(Everyone combines together, creating a huge arrow, shooting towards the building)

(Takeru, Ash, Cilan, and Iris all stand together with all of their current Pokémon)

(Ash: Pikachu, Oshawott, Snivy, Tepig, Pidove, Scraggy)  
(Takeru: Riolu, Tranquill, Tepig, Joltik, Zorua, Petilil)  
(Iris: Axew and Excadrill)  
(Cilan: Pansage and Dwebble)

**(Opening ends)**

As the four trainers inspected the entrance of the museum, the doors suddenly opened up, startling everyone in their tracks. A man flew out of the door, panting, looking like he was frightened.

"Sir! Are you alright?" Cilan asked. "Hah... hah... In there! It's horrible!" The man yelled as he pointed at the main hallway. Everyone turned to see there was nothing bizarre around at the moment.

"Is something wrong with the hallway?" Iris asked. "No! The hallway is fine! The Dome Fossil was chasing me!" The man panted as he slowly got up. "Whoa... A Dome Fossil!?" Ash asked in surprise.

"And that fossil was chasing you? Then, where is it right now?" Takeru asked. Riolu peeked out of his human brother's shoulder, seeing the man and the inside of the museum's hallway.

"Takeru is right! There is nothing going on in the hallway." Cilan reminded as he gestured to the inside of the museum. "H-Hah... It's... It's there, alright!" The man panicked as he stuttered.

The Nuvema boy gulped as Riolu started to shudder. "Let's check it out!" Ash suggested. Cilan and Iris agreed as the Nuvema duo reluctantly nodded in agreement.

They went to where the Dome Fossil would be in. As the four trainers got in close, it was just in one place. Cilan frowned as he turned to the man that was slowly following after them.

"The Dome Fossil is just there!" Cilan explained, as the man walked over. "But... But how? It was chasing me a few minutes ago!" The man explained as he carefully walked over.

"Fill us in, please! And don't leave any details behind!" Cilan requested. The man grew reluctant before he nodded in agreement. "U-Uh... Sure..." The man replied with a frightened nod.

So, the man led the four trainers outside, where he began to explain about his fright with the Dome Fossil. He cleared his throat and began his explanation. "We were behind schedule for the secret artifacts exhibit..." The man began.

**Flashback**

_"So, when the artifacts finally arrived... The workers and I were rushing to put together the displays... By the time we were finished... It was very late." The man explained his story._

_In the past, the workers were walking off back to their homes as the man stayed back at the museum, checking over the museum artifacts. "I was alone... Doing the final checkups on the artifacts, when suddenly..." The man continued._

_Then, there was the part where his fear began. The lights in the museum blacked out, startling the man as he took out his small flashlight to look around for the emergency switch._

_"As I made my way towards the light switch... I heard them..." The man explained as he shuddered, recalling of the frightening memories. He recalled when he heard footsteps, coming from behind him._

_"Footsteps coming towards this way... It was starting to get scary!... When suddenly, I heard a cry!" The man exclaimed. He recalled when there was a faint crying noise as he stuttered._

_"Is... Is... Is someone there!? Answer me, please!" The man called out, calling to the dark hallway. No response came... until a blue fire appeared in the air, causing the man to startle in fear._

_"It's a... ghost!? AHHH!" The man screamed as he ran out of the museum, and out the door. But, when he looked back, the blue fire was gone, looking like it had never appeared in the first place._

_"I was scared out of my wits... So, I brought all the workers back with me, and we searched the whole museum! But, we didn't find anything out of the ordinary!" The man explained._

_"So... Since our patriate safety comes first, we decided to postpone the exhibit... After the workers left, I stayed behind to search through the museum one last time..." The man explained._

_He recalled of calling back the workers, but they all left, seeing that nothing strange had occurred. Then, there was the part where he thought the Dome Fossil was chasing after him._

**Flashback End**

Riolu was shivering in fear, whimpering. He hid his face into his human brother's jacket, as the Nuvema boy gulped. "Oh my... And that was when we ran into you!" Cilan pointed out.

Ash folded his arms with a frown. "I'll tell you... Weird things can happen anywhere..." Ash reminded, recalling of his weird times. "Pikachu..." Pikachu agreed, sounding like he was remembering as well.

Iris thought it over, recalling of the blue flame and the floating Dome Fossil. "A curse... It's got to be!" Iris exclaimed. Ash, Takeru, and the man both flinched back in surprise at the response.

"Huh!?" "A curse!?" "That can't be..." The three responded all together. Cilan, however, seemed to be unfazed with the curse idea. Iris continued as she continued with her explanation.

"There is no doubt in my mind that the angry spirit of some sort put a terrible curse on this museum, and that's that!" Iris explained, thinking of the museum haunted by the ghost spirit.

"A terrible curse?... Angry spirit?... Where do you get all these ideas..." Takeru shuddered as he held Riolu in his arms. The man was more confused than scared as he frowned.

"Huh?... You really think that it's a curse?" The man asked. Hearing about it, Axew yelped as he hid inside Iris' hair, as the girl pointed it out. "See? Even Axew knows that it's true!" Iris replied.

She turned to the man with a glare. "And bad things could happen if we don't do something right now!" Iris added, until Cilan made his explanation with a calm smile and chuckle.

"Don't overreact! There's a rational explanation for this! It's simply a misunderstanding, that's all!" Cilan guessed, causing Iris to glare at the Connoisseur. "A misunderstanding!?" Iris shrieked.

_"Why did it have to come with angry spirits, big brother?"_ Riolu whimpered as he held onto his human brother's chest, tightly. "Don't ask, Riolu... Just... Don't ask..." Takeru stuttered.

"I'm sure that science has the key! Scientific perspective is what we need!" Cilan explained. "You could be right about that... It has... to be a... misunderstanding." Takeru agreed with a sweat drop.

Iris stood up, glaring at the Striaton Gym Leader and Connoisseur. "YEAH!? Then, figure it out with your scientific perspective!" Iris snapped. "I'll do just that! Huh! This is turning out to be a recipe that I like!" Cilan chuckled.

"A recipe for an investigation? Is that what it is?" Takeru asked as he still shook a little. "Relax, Takeru! It's just as you said! An investigation needed, with science!" Cilan explained.

Ash looked at his three friends, unsure of what to do about this. The man blinked in bewilderment and confusion of what Iris and Cilan were planning to do. "But... What are you saying?" The man asked.

"I'm saying that I'll find out why the angry spirit put a curse on your museum! I guarantee it!" Iris assured. "And I'll find out what's really going with science! The scientific method is the way to go!" Cilan assured.

Confused and impatient, the Kanto trainer slammed his hands on the table as he got up. "Hold it right there! I want to know about my Gym battle!" Ash cried out loud, causing Iris to glare at him.

"There is no time for that now!" Iris scolded. That caused the Kanto trainer to groan as he slumped down as Cilan agreed with a nod. Takeru comforted him with a pat on the back.

"Cheer up, Ash. I'm sure that we'll have our Gym battles AFTER if the case is closed." Takeru assured. "I guess..." Ash grumbled, still feeling down. The man chuckled after hearing the Gym battle words.

"Lenora isn't here anyway. So, you can't have a Gym battle without her!" The man explained. Everyone perked up to hear the name. "Huh? Lenora?" Ash asked, blinking in confusion.

"Ah... That's right... I haven't yet introduced myself. My name is Hawes! And I'm the co-curator of the museum, you see! And when I refer to Lenora, I meant my wife! She's also the Nacrene Gym Leader!" Hawes explained.

"Yeah? Well, that's awesome! My name is Ash! And this is my partner, Pikachu!" "Pika Pikachu!" Ash and Pikachu explained, introducing themselves. "My name is Takeru! And this is my buddy, Riolu!" Takeru explained.

_"Hi..."_ Riolu whispered, although it sounded like a soft bark to Hawes. "My name is Iris!" "And my name is Cilan! A Pokémon Connoisseur!" Iris and Cilan explained as they introduced themselves.

"May we all have a look around in your museum, please?" Cilan asked. "Yes, of course!" Hawes exclaimed as he led everyone back to the Nacrene Museum, where he began his unofficial tour.

"I'd be happy to give you all quick tour! So, if you would all follow me..." Hawes explained. He led the four trainers back to where the Dome Fossil was, as everyone looked at it.

"It's thought that Kabuto, the Shellfish Pokémon were living in our beaches for about 300 million years ago!" Hawes explained, much to Ash's amazement. "Whoa... That was a long time ago!" Ash exclaimed.

The tour continued on, as the co-curator led the group to a skeleton which looked a lot familiar. "Wow! Isn't that a Dragonite?" Iris asked, much to her amazement.

Axew popped out of her hair, seeing the skeleton as well. "This is quite impressive! It's a skeletal model of a Dragonite! It just so happens that this is the largest Dragonite skeletal model in the world!" Hawes explained.

He then gestured towards a meteorite in the glass case, beginning his lecture about it. "Take a look at this! A most, amazing rock! It's a Meteorite!" Hawes explained as Takeru awed in amazement.

"That would mean that this one came from space..." Takeru pointed out as Riolu looked at it in amazement, seeing it on his human brother's shoulder. "Yes! And it should also possess some cosmic energy as well!" Hawes explained.

"Cosmic energy? That's interesting!" Cilan commented. "That sounds amazing!" "Pika!" Ash and Pikachu commented together as the tour went on. This time, it led them to the artifacts exhibit.

"This is our secret artifacts exhibit's main attraction!" Hawes pointed out. Ash and Pikachu ran over to the knight in armor as the Kanto trainer awed with the iron armor. "Awesome!" Ash commented.

"Pika!" Pikachu agreed happily. "These suits of armor were once worn in the Unova region!" Hawes explained, much to both Cilan and Takeru's amazement. "Most captivating..." Cilan commented.

Takeru frowned, along with Iris, who thought it over. "Suits of armor..." Iris replied, thinking. The thought was interrupted with Ash gasping at the ruins artifacts. "Ah! Check that out!" Ash exclaimed.

Everyone went over to see a coffin in the middle, with some symbols and objects around it. "The artifacts on display here were found in the ruins!" Hawes explained, gesturing to the ancient objects.

"And researchers said that Cofagrigus is known to be appear in these types of ruins!" Hawes explained. The name confused Ash, but frightened the Nuvema boy and the Emanation Pokémon.

"Cofagrigus?" Ash repeated. "Yes! It's this Pokémon's name!" Cilan explained as Takeru shakily took out his Unova Pokédex, searching for the creepy coffin looking Pokémon.

_"Cofagrigus, the Coffin Pokémon and the evolved form of Yamask. People who approach Cofagrigus are swallowed and turned into mummies. It loves to eat gold."_ Takeru's Pokédex buzzed.

"Is it a real specimen?" Cilan asked as Takeru stepped back in fright. "Ugh... No! This is just a replica!" Hawes explained, showing the empty inside of the coffin. "It's certainly well done!" Cilan complimented.

Once the tour seemed to be finished, Iris thought more of it over, thinking of something. "Huh..." Iris replied as the three boys looked at her. "Hey, what's wrong?" Ash asked.

"It's about the curse! This has all something to do with it!" Iris explained. "Could you please not mention curse to us, please?" Takeru pleaded with a frightened look as Riolu whimpered once more.

"Why do you say that?" Cilan asked, narrowing his eyes. "It's my sixth sense! That's how I know!" Iris answered, causing both the Nuvema boy and his Emanation Pokémon sweat dropping.

"So... It's just a guess?" _"Boring!"_ Takeru asked as Riolu commented with the weak guess. "Which means, you have no evidence and it's just a hunch!" Cilan declared, causing Iris to pout angrily.

The Kanto trainer then went over to the display case, seeing a mask. "Hey, Hawes... What's this?" Ash asked, pointing at the mask. "Now, that's a Yamask Mask! Yamask frequently appears in ruins!" Hawes explained.

He gestured to the Ghost Type Pokémon on the picture below, as the Nuvema boy shuddered once again. Iris seemed to notice as she frowned. "Seriously! What are you and Riolu afraid of!?" Iris snapped.

"Creepy things... Like Ghost Types, of course!" Takeru answered back with a glare. Riolu sighed in disappointment, shaking his head of Iris' anger. Meanwhile, Ash was more amazed as he grinned.

"Hey, what a weird looking Pokémon!" Ash chuckled with a cheeky grin. "Pika..." Pikachu replied in his amazement. "Of course, the mask of the Yamask is a replica after all..." Hawes added in reminder.

Iris then frowned, thinking about her guess more. "I've got a bad feeling about this... Something..." Iris explained as she looked closer towards the replica Yamask mask with a frown.

The Nuvema boy and his Fighting Type gulped, until Hawes led the four trainers to the huge library. When they got there, they all got huge amazements of the size of the whole room.

"Our library has been built with the additional artifacts information! Visitors are encouraged to study here as much as they want!" Hawes explained, with the Connoisseur interested.

"Now, this is what I call a full service!" Cilan chuckled, looking around at the huge library. "So! This is the end of our tour!" Hawes declared, before he got serious about the current issues.

"Now tell me, did you find anything strange?" Hawes asked as Cilan made his first guess. "Well... Everything seems to be normal here at first..." Cilan pointed out, before Takeru talked.

"That's what could happen if you really underestimate of what something could happen to you." Takeru warned as he narrowed his eyes. Iris made her thoughts in a guess, thinking it over.

"Something definitely doesn't feel right to me! But, I can't think of what it is!" Iris explained as she tried to remember more of her thoughts. Ash turned to everyone else with a frown.

"I know one thing... I need to eat..." Ash groaned, as he felt his stomach rumbling. Immediately, Iris glared at the Kanto trainer angrily for his mere interruptions. "Will you stop that!?" Iris snapped angrily.

Both Ash and Cilan laughed nervously as the Nuvema boy sighed in relief, knowing that it wasn't anything related to the curse of the Nacrene Museum. "Come on, Iris! It was a joke!" Ash chuckled.

Soon, the joking stopped as the Pokémon Connoisseur turned to the co-curator. "Hawes, sir? Would it be alright if we slept in the museum tonight?" Cilan asked, as Hawes widened his eyes in shock.

"Huh!? Sleep in the museum!?" Hawes exclaimed in surprise. " Right! Then, that would help us spot any paranormal activities that's about to occur!" Cilan explained, as he said his plan.

Takeru bit his lips, knowing that the night won't be a peaceful night, due to the problems that Hawes had before. _"Sleep here?..."_ Riolu asked with a groan. Takeru chuckled nervously at the complaint.

He rubbed his Fighting Types' head, much to its enjoyment. "Oh yeah! There's no doubt that angry spirits are more active at night! It'd be a great way to find out of what's causing the curse!" Iris explained.

"Right... Then, that would crack the case of your so-called surprise." Takeru agreed with a determined look. _"I want to help out, too!"_ Riolu barked out loud, wanting to help along.

"Well, you all may be kids. But, you're all courageous! I'm impressed!" Hawes complimented with a chuckle. "Actually, he's the only kid in the gang!" Iris teased, getting a glare from the Kanto trainer.

"Now what does that mean!?" Ash snapped angrily. "Actually sir, that kid is Iris, who refuses to admit that she's the real kid." Takeru corrected, getting a glare from Iris this time. "WHAT!?" Iris shrieked angrily.

Everyone laughed at the girl being flustered and angry for being talked back by Takeru.

**That night...**

Everyone prepared for their nighttime rest, getting all of their sleeping bags out. Both Ash and Takeru had their Pokémon Eggs out, as the two boys inspected it with Pikachu and Riolu.

"I just can't wait to see which Pokémon hatches out of this Egg!" Ash admitted. "Pika!" Pikachu cried out, also feeling excited. Takeru only looked at his black-red Egg, before he put it in his backpack.

"Hatch soon, alright?" Takeru whispered as he zipped his backpack up. "You sure that you four will be alright here?" Hawes asked, as he was still concerned about the group's safety.

"Of course! We always sleep like this most of the time!" Ash explained with a grin. "B-But, what if we start hearing voices? And the things that start moving on their own?" Hawes panicked.

"Hawes, sir. Just calm down. This will be over when we discover the problem." Takeru assured with a reminder. "If we do hear those things, then that'll be the chance for us to spring into action!" Iris explained.

"And, like Takeru says, this mystery will soon be solved!" Cilan assured, leaving the co-curator to smile in relief. "Sounds good to me!" Hawes chuckled, as he agreed to go along with the plan.

And so, with the Nacrene Gym battle postponed, due to some serious case, the group plans to find the culprit of this mess and see if they could solve the mystery. Stay tuned for some more Pokémon actions!

To be continued...

**Takeru's Team:**

**Riolu: (M): (Force Palm, Blaze Kick, ThunderPunch, Dig)**

**Joltik: (M): (Electro Ball, Electroweb, String Shot, Signal Beam)**

**Tranquill: (M): (Air Cutter, Gust, Roost, Aerial Ace)**

**Tepig: (M): (Flamethrower, Smog, Flame Charge, Rollout)**

**Egg: (N/A): This Egg has moved once, so it's close to hatching soon.**

Next chapters:

**Chapter 28: The Angry Spirit to Overcome!**

**Chapter 29: The Nacrene Gym Battle! Pt. 1**

**Chapter 30: The Nacrene Gym Battle! Pt. 2**

**Chapter 31: Ash VS Takeru! Ash's Training!**

**Chapter 32: Ash VS Lenora! A Second Chance!**

**Next chapter preview:**

Iris: Um, guys? I'm starting to get another unusual chill here... It's like something is coming for us right now!

Cilan: Another unscientific explanation with no proof... Honestly, Iris. It has something do with the... Hm?

Angry Spirit: **Get... out... Give... me... my mask... MY MASK! MY MASK! GIVE IT BACK... HUMAN THIEF!**

Hawes: AHH! It's coming for us! We're all doomed! It's coming for all of us right now!

Takeru: No... no... S... S... STAY AWWWAAAAYYYY!

Lenora: Just a minute there! Why don't you just come out and show yourself, Yamask? That would be much easier for the all of us.


	28. The Angry Spirit to Overcome!

**Chapter 28: The Angry Spirit to Overcome!**

Last time on "Pokémon Unova Journey", Takeru, Ash, Iris, and Cilan had all arrived finally at Nacrene City, where Ash and Takeru's second Unova Gym battle would be up and ready to go.

However, as they arrived at the front of the museum, where the Nacrene City Gym were to be located, they all heard a loud scream, following a man who got out of the museum, frightened of something.

When the group looked to see what had happened, there seemed to be nothing that was going on. So, the co-curator of the museum, named Hawes explained the situation he had just had.

It was about a Dome Fossil that was haunting him, along with all the other museum materials that's been haunting him for some time. Iris deducts that it could be an angry spirit, much to Takeru's fright.

Cilan, however, deducted it as some misunderstanding, not believing Iris' story, much to her annoyance. That was when everyone planned to stay at the museum at night for a night stakeout.

How will the night go by for the group? Will they be able to discover the culprit of this curse madness?

Both Takeru and Ash were sleeping along with Pikachu and Riolu, until they were both shook awake by Iris. "Ash! Takeru! Both of you... Wake up, now!" Iris whispered loudly, causing the two to groan.

"Ugh... Wha?" Ash groaned as he opened one eye, seeing Iris above his face. The Nuvema boy shook his head with drowsiness before glaring at the girl. "What gives, Iris?" Takeru grumbled.

Cilan also got up, hearing the small commotion. "Hm...? What's wrong?" Cilan asked, rubbing his eyes. Iris looked around, before making her answer. "You see... I'm starting to feel a chill..." Iris explained.

Takeru glared at her as Riolu yawned, rubbing her eyes. "That's it? A chill? That's what made you wake us up? You're crazy..." Takeru snapped as he turned his head away with annoyance.

"Just stick with me, alright!? I'm telling you... Something is closing in on us!" Iris retorted. Cilan sighed, shaking his head with a small smile. "Another unscientific explanation..." Cilan pointed out.

Just then, Riolu shivered, staying close to Takeru. "Riolu... What is it? What's wrong?" Takeru asked, frowning. _"Big bro... Iris is right... Something is getting close to us!"_ Riolu shuddered.

The Nuvema boy blinked in surprise as he turned to the dark hallway where dark mist began to surround the exhibit room. The others noticed too, as they all looked around, wondering about the dark mist.

"H-Hey... What's going on?" Ash asked. Hawes yawned as he woke up, seeing the four trainers and their two Pokémon awake. "Unh... You're all up... Is something wrong-" Hawes started, but stopped.

He immediately yelped as he jumped, looking around frantically. "AH! T-That fog! What in the world could it be!?" Hawes yelled as he stared straight at the dark hallway. Takeru gulped as he held Riolu close to him.

"I'm telling you... That angry spirit is about to do something bad!" Iris assured. The Connoisseur still didn't believe as he shook it off once again. "Of course not! The air conditioning must've broken down!" Cilan assured.

Riolu's ears perked as he glowed, sensing to see if anything was ahead. He widened his eyes and whimpered. "There's... something... coming this way!" Riolu whimpered, as he hid his face on Takeru's jacket.

The Nuvema boy shuddered a little as he gulped, thinking it over. Before he could say something, there was footsteps... but, it mostly sounded like metal clattering footsteps as everyone looked up.

"You hear that? What's that weird noise!?" Ash asked as he widened his eyes a little. His question was soon answered as the footsteps got closer. Once it was visible enough, everyone gasped.

It was the suit of knight armor! And it looked like it was being played like a puppet or some sort. "AHHH!" Hawes screamed as he fell on the ground, trying to back away from the armor.

"Th-That... That can't be... real... An armor moving on its own!?" Takeru stuttered as he began to sweat. Riolu whimpered a little louder, hugging his human brother as he didn't want to see the ghost.

"Ahh... Ahh... A GHOST!?" Hawes yelled, causing Takeru to do one thing... Scream.

"No... NOOO!" Takeru yelled as he jumped up, backing away to a museum wall. "H-Hey, Takeru!?" Ash gasped, seeing the Nuvema boy deeply frightened of the moving knight armor.

"Alright! What's the scientific explanation now, Cilan!?" Iris snapped, glancing at the Connoisseur. Cilan smiled calmly as he made his explanation, before turning to his three friends.

"Easy! It's the poltergeist phenomenon, which refers to things that move, due to the ultra sound of vibrations and sound waves!" Cilan explained. As he was finished, the knight pulled out his sword.

"That... HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH SOUND WAVES!" Takeru bellowed as Riolu began to sob a little. "Look! Both Takeru and Riolu are scared of that! Are the sound waves doing that now?" Iris asked.

"It's possible that someone is doing all of this by doing it with strings!" Cilan guessed, leaving both Ash and Iris to sweat drop. "Wow... That's kind of a stretch..." Ash chuckled nervously.

Suddenly, the knight charged, aiming its sword for the group. Although frightened, the Nuvema boy called Riolu to make an attack. "Urgh! Riolu! Tear that armor down with Force Palm!" Takeru called.

_"S-S-Sure!"_ Riolu stuttered as he jumped in the air, before landing the Force Palm attack on the armor, causing it to fall apart, clattering around the ground. The pieces were scattered around, in a complete mess.

The fear was gone temporarily as the Nuvema boy joined up with Ash and the others. "Nice hit, Riolu!" Takeru complimented. _"T-Thanks..."_ Riolu stuttered, as he was still scared of the armor.

But, the Emanation Pokémon sensed something wrong as he used his Aura to sense what's going on. _"AH! It's not over yet!"_ Riolu yelped as he backed away, right in front of his human brother.

Takeru widened his eyes as his sight turned back to the knight armor. Everyone gasped to see the armor rebuilding itself perfectly, like it had taken no damage! "What!?" Takeru gasped.

"That's curious!" Cilan stated. "No! That's a curse!" Iris argued. The Kanto trainer took his turn, ordering his Electric Type a move. "Okay, Pikachu! Use Volt Tackle!" Ash cried out.

Pikachu charged with his powerful Electric attack, slamming into the armor once again. The knight armor pieces scattered around once more, as the pieces stayed still, not moving anywhere.

However, a blue fire appeared out of the armor, causing Hawes, Takeru, and Riolu to gasp. "Ah... Is that... a ghostly aura!?" Hawes exclaimed in question, with Cilan answering it with scientific explanation.

"It's just an electrical discharge and nothing more! People often mistakes phenomenon like that for ghosts!" Cilan explained. Suddenly, the blue fire floated around Ash, causing him to yelp in startle.

"Whoa! That thing is hot!" Ash yelped as he braced himself. The fire then floated around the Nuvema boy and Riolu, much to their frightening. "S-Stay away..." Takeru threatened, in a frightened way.

Riolu whimpered as he held onto his human brother's leg tightly. "Oshawott! I choose you!" Ash called, as he summoned the Sea Otter Pokémon. "Use Water Gun on that flame!" Ash shouted.

Oshawott jumped, shooting the Water Type move at the blue fire, as it vanished. However, as soon as the blue fire was gone, the head of the knight armor rose into the air, much to the group's shock.

"Ah! Now what!?" Takeru yelped as he took a step back. Iris turned to the Connoisseur with a suspicious look. "Alright! Explain!" Iris demanded, which Cilan explained with his view.

"A change in the magnetic field is reacting with the metal in the armor that's causing it to float!" Cilan explained. That didn't explain on why the head of the armor was chasing Hawes around.

"AHH!" Hawes screamed as he covered his head, not wanting to be caught by the 'ghost'. "Nuts! Riolu! Use Blaze Kick on the armor!" Takeru shouted. "A-Alright..." Riolu replied as he kicked the armor away.

The Blaze Kick stopped the head, as it clattered on the ground. Still frightened, Hawes looked at the head of the armor with a sigh. "Thanks... I needed that..." Hawes thanked as he slowly got up.

"You know... That angry spirit... It seems to be mostly after Hawes, you know?" Iris pointed out, causing Hawes to frown in displeasure. "A-After me!?" Hawes stuttered as he thought it over.

"I don't think that I would've done something that would get someone so mad..." Hawes assured, looking around. Suddenly, rain shot down from the ceiling, much to everyone's startle.

"Rain!?" Ash asked in surprise, wondering how a rain could get inside. "Something must be wrong with the sprinklers! That's all!" Cilan assured. Iris pouted, glaring at Cilan with disappointment.

"A sprinkler? But, even with malfunction, wouldn't it only activate even by a huge amount of heat?" Takeru asked as he thought it over. _"The only fire here was that blue fire..."_ Riolu stuttered.

Suddenly, after a few seconds, the rain had stopped, with Riolu, Pikachu, and Oshawott growing confused with the sudden end. "It stopped!" Ash stated, as he looked up at the ceiling.

As he said that, there was a muffling voice that was on the other side of the hallway, as Hawes gulped. "Those are the very same sounds that I heard before last night!" Hawes stuttered.

Iris widened her eyes as she made her point. "It sounds like crying! That spirit must be so sad!" Iris pointed out. "Sad? About what? First, it attacks us, now it's sad?" Takeru asked, frowning.

"No, no... That crying sound is just actually a low frequency sound waves that must be causing it to squeak!" Cilan assured, leaving for the two boys to frown. "Whatever! Let's check of what's going on!" Ash suggested.

He took out Oshawott's Pokéball, before returning him to it. So, with that settled, everyone ran towards the exhibit room, where the crying sound had came from. Everyone looked around for the reason of the crying noise.

Riolu looked at the exhibit that was behind the glass and barked in surprise. _"It's... the mask!"_ Riolu pointed out, pointing at the mask. Everyone turned to see the mask... And it seemed to be crying!

"That mask must be the reason for that crying sound..." Takeru pointed out. "But... Why would that mask be sad?" Iris asked in confusion. Cilan sighed and shook his head, making his next explanation.

"What appears to be tears are in reality, are condensation, and nothing more!" Cilan explained. "I don't think so... Look!" Takeru pointed out. Everyone looked to see the mask rising in the air.

It then slammed against the glass, much to Riolu's fear as he began to cry, snuggling onto his human brother. "Sh... Riolu, calm down..." Takeru stuttered as he narrowed his eyes at the crying mask.

"Ah! The angry spirit is inside that mask!" Iris pointed out, which the Connoisseur countered once again. "Wrong. It's merely attracted to something... Like a positive poles of a magnet of some sort!" Cilan explained.

"Oh really!?" Iris snapped, glaring at the Connoisseur. The mask continued on slamming against the glass door, looking like it wanted to come out. As it stopped, there was a giant footsteps noise.

Everyone turned to see what was making the footsteps. It was the giant Dragonite skeleton! Ash and Hawes both began to stutter at the moving skeleton as Takeru widened his eyes and turned pale.

"Alright... Are you the angry spirit? Tell us!" Iris pleaded, but was interrupted by Cilan. "Stop! It's simply a change to the magnetic field!" Cilan snapped, still not believing in the ghost part.

But then, he sighed, shaking his head. "Ugh... I don't believe me anymore..." Cilan groaned. At that moment, the Dragonite skeleton attacked, as everyone got out of the way.

The skeleton began to punch the glass, looking like it was trying to break the mask free. Both Cilan and Takeru took out their Pokéballs for the skeleton to stop. "Quick, Pansage! Use Bullet Seed!" Cilan called.

The Grass Monkey appeared as he shot the Bullet Seed to stop the Dragonite skeleton. "Now! Tepig! Use Flame Charge at the skeleton!" Takeru shouted, calling for the Fire Pig Pokémon.

Tepig appeared, as he bashed into the skeleton. Right at the exact moment, a spirit of a Pokémon seemed to have appeared briefly, before it disappeared. Riolu noticed it as he blinked.

_"Big bro... I thought I just saw... a Yamask!"_ Riolu explained. "Yamask? Here?" Takeru whispered to himself in surprise. "It sounded like some sort of a cry!" Ash pointed out, not hearing the name.

"It could've been the voice of the angry spirit!" Iris guessed. Cilan turned to the co-curator with a serious frown on his face. "What about the mask? Is it alright!?" Cilan asked.

Hawes widened his eyes before he ran over to the display case. "Ah... I'll go check!" Hawes replied as he opened the glass case with his ID card, causing it to open. Immediately, the mask floated in the air!

It floated right into Cilan's face, much to his shock. His voice was muffled as he tried to take the Yamask mask off. "Cilan!?" "What in the world!?" Ash and Takeru gasped. The three young trainers pulled at the mask.

However, no matter how hard they tried to pull it off, it didn't seem to work! "Cilan... Hang on!" Takeru called as he gritted his teeth. "Ugh... It's stuck! It won't come off!" Ash grunted.

Suddenly, the masked Connoisseur pushed his three young friends away, much to their surprise. As everyone else looked, Cilan was just standing there, feeling motionless.

"Cilan! Are you okay!?" "Snap out of it!" Ash and Iris called out. "Cilan! Can you hear us- What!?" Takeru started, then gasped. Cilan rose his head up, but not in his way of moving.

**"And now..."** The voice moaned. Everyone widened their eyes as Cilan prepared for battle, attacking. **"I shall punish you all!"** The voice snapped angrily, as it revealed a Will-o-Wisp attack.

Everyone dodged out of the way, much to their shock and surprise. "What's wrong with you!? Cilan!?" Ash cried out in confusion and annoyance. "I don't think that Cilan could hear us at the moment!" Takeru explained.

"What?" Ash asked in surprise. "Takeru is right! It's obvious to see that Cilan's been taken over by the angry spirit!" Iris explained. "Taken over? But, how come?" Ash asked, even more confused.

"I think... It's because that Cilan denied that the angry spirit was real in the first place!" Iris answered. "Are you serious!?" Takeru panicked as he shuddered, looking back at the possessed Cilan.

Iris took a step towards the possessed Connoisseur as she tried to reason with it. "Spirit! You've got to listen to me! You've got to talk to us now! Please tell us why you're so angry!" Iris pleaded.

At the question, the spirit possessing Cilan answered. **"You locked it away..."** The spirit explained. "Locked it away?" Iris repeated in confusion. **"The mask is precious to me!"** The spirit explained.

Both Iris and Takeru blinked at the spirit explaining his reason in a harsh tone. At the answer, someone else came into the exhibit room. "That Yamask mask is the real deal, alright." A woman called out.

Everyone turned to see a woman glancing at the possessed Cilan and everyone else. "Hi, dear! You couldn't have picked a better time to come home!" Hawes exclaimed in relief.

The three young trainers all looked back at Hawes and the woman in confusion. "Hi dear...?" Iris repeated. "So... That must mean... you're Lenora! The Nacrene City Gym Leader!" Takeru pointed out.

Riolu widened his eyes of seeing the Gym Leader as Lenora smiled. "That's right." Lenora agreed as she turned to her husband. "So tell me, Hawes. Where did you get that mask anyway?" Lenora asked.

The co-curator blinked his eyes in confusion as he thought it over for a minute. "Huh? The mask? Let me see... Last night, when we were loading the artifacts, I found the mask on the ground!" Hawes explained.

He recalled the time when he found the Yamask mask on the ground, thinking that it was another part for the museum artifacts. He had placed it on the display case last night, feeling proud for himself.

"I had ordered only a replica of Cofagrigus, so I assumed that they sent this Yamask mask as a thank you gift for the replica as well..." Hawes explained sheepishly. Lenora glared at her husband at that.

"You know better than that!" Lenora scolded. "Well... I guess I should've!" Hawes chuckled nervously. Ash, Takeru, Pikachu, and Riolu all sweat dropped at the co-curator's sheepish smile.

At that said, the spirit started to grow more angry as it began to possess the Dragonite skeleton as well! Lenora noticed and glared at it. "Now, stop it! That's more than enough punishment!" Lenora snapped.

However, the spirit didn't listen and proceeded with the attack. "Get... OUT!" The spirit demanded as it moved the skeleton to begin attacking. But, as a Gym Leader, Lenora was ready for this.

"If that's how you want to do it, fine! Go, Watchog!" Lenora called, summoning a Pokémon that looked a lot like Patrat, only it looked sharper and different. It shined a bright light towards the spirit and the Dragonite skeleton.

It blinded not just the two, but everyone as they shielded themselves from the bright light. Takeru carefully took out his Unova Pokédex in order to scan the Lookout Pokémon.

_"Watchog, the Lookout Pokémon, and the evolved form of Patrat. Watchog's body contains luminescent compounds, which allow its eyes and stripes to glow."_ Takeru's Pokédex buzzed.

"Yamask, why don't you come out and show yourself?" Lenora requested. At the name, everyone was surprised by that. "Yamask!? No way!" Iris gasped. At that moment, the mask came off, freeing Cilan.

"Cilan! Thank goodness! Are you okay!?" Ash asked. The Connoisseur looked around, a little confused. "I'm fine... But, what happened?" Cilan asked. Before anyone could answer the question, the mask floated in the air.

Eventually, it was held by the Ghost Type Pokémon, Yamask, who revealed itself. Both Takeru and Riolu shuddered at the sight of the Ghost Type as Ash scanned it with the Pokédex.

_"Yamask, the Spirit Pokémon. Yamask is a Ghost-Type Pokémon that wanders the ruins of ancient civilizations."_ Ash's Pokédex buzzed. Lenora smiled and nodded in understanding.

"Of course! Yamask must've been hiding with the artifacts! That's how it ended up here!... But then, it had accidentally dropped its mask." Lenora explained. Yamask nodded with agreement as the Gym Leader continued.

She then turned to her husband with a serious glare. "You thought that mask was a replica, so you made the mistake of putting it away in the display case..." Lenora continued as she thought it over.

Yamask nodded as it recalled that it had realized it lost its mask as it tried to look for it frantically. Eventually, the Spirit Pokémon found it, but couldn't get it out, much to its upset and annoyance.

"But when Yamask saw that its mask was locked in the case, it had assumed that you had stolen it and locked it away." Lenora explained, frowning. "So, Yamask got mad and did all of this!" Ash exclaimed.

"Of course! Yamask used Psychic to move the skeleton model and the fossil, too!" Cilan pointed out, recalling of what it looked like to them. Takeru narrowed his eyes as he thought it over.

"Yeah... Come to think of it... That rain we experienced was Rain Dance... The floating flame was Will-o-Wisp... And the dark mist was actually Haze..." Takeru explained, before sighing.

Riolu grumbled to himself, before sighing as well, not happy for the fright it took from the little Ghost Type. "See? I've told you all that it was all the work of an angry spirit! Haven't I?" Iris reminded.

"Well... Not exactly..." Cilan reminded, causing Iris to be ticked off. "Hey, come on! My guess was better than yours!" Iris snapped. "You don't have to tell us twice..." Takeru assured.

Hawes bit his lips, before he ran over, standing in front of the Spirit Pokémon. He bowed down, apologizing. "Yamask... I truly regret for what I have done wrong... I'm sorry... I beg you to forgive me!" Hawes pleaded.

"I apologize, too... Forgive us, please." Lenora apologized along. Immediately, the Ghost Type approved the double apology with several nods. Iris smiled, seeing the look on Yamask.

"I know that it may just be a hunch, but I think that Yamask forgave you!" Iris explained. "Axew!" Axew agreed, popping out of Iris' hair. "You really think so?" Hawes asked as his wife smiled.

"Wonderful. Thank you, Yamask." Lenora thanked, gaining a small nod and smile from the Spirit Pokémon. "That's such a relief!" Takeru admitted. _"And I thought that things would get worse..."_ Riolu admitted.

"Awesome! And it looks like that Yamask is actually a cool looking Pokémon!" Ash exclaimed. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu agreed with a smile on his face. "True! And an air full of real mystery!" Cilan added.

**At dawn...**

"Leaving so soon?" Lenora asked. Everyone was at the front entrance of the museum, saying goodbye to the Spirit Pokémon. "Yam!" Yamask replied with a nod. "You can come back and visit us anytime!" Hawes assured.

"Yam Yamask!" Yamask exclaimed happily with a nod. It then floated away, floating away towards the sky. "Bye! Take care!" "Pika Pika!" Ash and Pikachu called out. "Bye bye, Yamask!" Iris called out.

"Best wishes until the end, Yamask!" _"Bye, Yamask!"_ Takeru and Riolu called out loud. Yamask gave a small wave back before it disappeared out of sight. Once it was gone, everyone watched the sun rising up into the sky.

"Ohhh... What a beautiful morning!" Iris exclaimed. "Right! Such delicious morning air!" Cilan agreed with a smile. "And a perfect day for a Gym battle!" Ash added. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu agreed.

"I see... So, does that mean the two of you came here to challenge my Gym?" Lenora asked. Both boys turned with smiles on their faces as Takeru gave a slight nod in agreement.

"Yes... My name is Takeru, Lenora. I'm from Nuvema Town." Takeru explained. "Right! And I'm Ash, from Pallet Town! We would both like to challenge you for a Gym battle!" Ash explained.

"Of course! I'm always curious about challenger's battling styles! I'm looking forward to seeing yours!" Lenora admitted with a smile. "Alright!" "Pika Pika!" Ash and Pikachu exclaimed with grins on their faces.

"Okay then... Riolu, are you ready for our second challenge?" Takeru asked, turning to his Emanation Pokémon. "Ready as ever, big bro!" Riolu barked out with a nod. The Nuvema boy nodded back with a smile.

And so, with the haunted museum mystery solved, both Ash and Takeru will finally have their chance against Lenora for their second Gym battle! How will things go to their way in their battles?

Brace yourself for some more Pokémon actions!

To be continued...

**Takeru's Team:**

**Riolu: (M): (Force Palm, Blaze Kick, ThunderPunch, Dig)**

**Joltik: (M): (Electro Ball, Signal Beam, String Shot, Electroweb)**

**Tranquill: (M): (Air Cutter, Gust, Aerial Ace, Roost)**

**Tepig: (M): (Flamethrower, Smog, Flame Charge, Rollout)**

**Egg: (N/A): This Egg has moved once, so it's close to hatching soon.**

Next chapters:

**Chapter 29: The Nacrene Gym Battle! Pt. 1**

**Chapter 30: The Nacrene Gym Battle! Pt. 2**

**Chapter 31: Ash VS Takeru! Ash's Training!**

**Chapter 32: Ash VS Lenora! A Second Chance!**

**Chapter 33: Scraggy and Zorua! Two Mischiefs!?**

**Next chapter preview:**

Ash: Alright! Finally I get to have my chance to win my second Unova region Gym Badge! All I have to do is win and get it!

Lenora: Don't think that it won't be that easy, boys. When it comes to battling, I can make most difficulties for challengers and their Pokémon.

Takeru: Don't take us so lightly, Lenora. You know that all challengers can't be underestimated. Try us, and you'll see what I mean.

Ash: Okay, I'll go first! Tepig and Oshawott! Let's do this thing together!... Ah! Whoa... Both Lillipup and Watchog are strong...

Cilan: Lenora's battling style technique just makes it hard for challengers to focus on what they want to do.

Takeru: Well, if that's the case... I won't be falling for her technique that easily... no matter how difficult it can be...


	29. The Nacrene Gym Battle! Pt 1

**Chapter 29: The Nacrene Gym Battle! Pt. 1**

"Lenora?" Ash asked. "Yes, Ash?" Lenora asked. It was afternoon as Lenora and Hawes were showing the group around the Nacrene Museum, where the Nacrene Gym battlefield was supposed to be.

"I'm kind of wondering on where the battlefield is?" Ash asked, looking around. "Right... It doesn't seem like that it would be in here..." Cilan pointed out. The Normal Type Gym Leader gave a little smirk.

"You'll see soon enough!" Lenora assured. As soon as she said that, her husband activated the security scanner, which scanned his handprint. Once the scanning was complete, the door began to slide open.

It revealed another part of the Nacrene Museum library, filled with more books. "We're entering an area which is closed to the general public!" Hawes explained. Everyone blinked in amazement as they all headed inside.

Inside the area was filled with books of all kinds, all part of the Unova region. "This part of the library is reserved for rare books and study materials. You need special permission from us to enter here!" Lenora explained.

Takeru looked around with Riolu on his shoulder, while Hawes continued on. "This is the finest collection of the Unova region! You can learn everything about Unova's history and culture right here!" Hawes explained.

So, the four trainers all looked around, searching in different sections. Cilan found one section that most amazed him. "Incredible! You even got books about Pokémon Connoisseurs!" Cilan exclaimed.

"That's because the Unova region is where Pokémon Connoisseurs got their start! Are you interested in it?" Lenora asked. The Striaton Gym Leader and Connoisseur turned with a knowing smile.

"Of course! I am on this journey as a Pokémon Connoisseur to meet all kinds of Pokémon and Trainers as much as I can!" Cilan explained. The Nacrene Gym Leader chuckled at that.

"Well, well! There's nothing better than lots of experience, so best of luck!" Lenora assured. "Thanks!" Cilan exclaimed, as he said this word of thanks. Takeru walked over to the Pokémon history section.

He picked out a book, which was labeled: "The Swords of Justice". The cover showed four figures of Pokémon. Each looked similar, but had different sizes and forms on them.

"Swords of Justice, huh..." Takeru whispered as he turned the page to where the chapter began with a Pokémon named Virizion. He took out his Pokédex, scanning the member of the Swords of Justice.

_"Virizion, the Grassland Pokémon. Virizion is one of the three Pokémon that had fought humans in order to protect other Pokémon. Legends about itself and its companions are being passed out."_ Takeru's Pokédex buzzed.

**(Pokémon: BW Best Wishes Opening: Be An Arrow! (English Subbed))**

(Ash, Takeru, Cilan, and Iris are running with Pikachu, Riolu, Pansage, and Axew, with colorful arrows flying above them as they ran to a light!)

**_One swiftly running arrow!_**

(A blue pillar and orange pillar appears, showing Ash and Pikachu, with Takeru and Riolu)

_**One supple arrow!**_

(A purple pillar appears, showing Iris and Axew)

_**One thinking arrow!**_

(A yellow green pillar appears, showing Cilan)

_**That's us now!**_

(Ash, Takeru, Cilan, and Iris stand together as they move towards the air together)

**_Cross the green mountain, remove the white clouds_**

(The Japanese opening appears)

_**Let's colorfully push through the wilderness, become an arrow!**_

(A group of wild Pokémon from the five regions run or fly along)

_**Even if we suddenly turn around, twist, and shake**_

(Ash, Cilan, Takeru, and Iris are running alongside with the Water Type Pokémon on the sea)

(Meloetta suddenly appears, snatching Ash's hat from his head)

_**There's no way that we'll get separated!**_

(In Prof. Oak's laboratory, all of Ash's Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh were there; Charizard gives a thumbs up to the screen)

_**Sometimes I can no longer see the road, and don't know where to go**_

(Ash and Takeru were stopped by giant pillars, blocking their way)

_**But you will always be by my side!**_

(Pikachu and Riolu appears, with Pikachu using Thunderbolt, while Riolu uses Aura Sphere)

(Both trainers and Pokémon smile happily at each other)

_**Even the bright sun is hidden by the clouds sometimes**_

(Keldeo, Cobalion, Virizion, and Terrakion stands together on top of an ice)

(Kyurem appears, turning into either Black or White Kyurem)

_**But meetings will always bring light!**_

(Cynthia and Alder smile at the four trainers standing at the bottom)

(Hikaru and Dawn comes by, with Infernape using Flamethrower, as Piplup uses Hydro Pump)

(Jessie, James, and Meowth let out evil smirks)

_**One too hot arrow!**_

(Stephan and Sawk pose together, standing together)

_**Two competitive arrows!**_

(Trip and Servine appears together after the dust clears)

_**Three helpful arrows!**_

(Bianca comes by with Pignite, as the two fall together)

_**So the heart will never break!**_

(Trip, Dawn, Hikaru, Iris, Ash, Takeru, Cilan, Bianca, and Stephan stand together with their Pokémon partners)

_**Aim forward as an arrow!**_

(Everyone shoots in the air, towards the sky)

_**Shine greater than even now as an arrow!**_  
_**Thrust toward your dream!**_

(Everyone combines together, creating a huge arrow, shooting towards the building)

(Takeru, Ash, Cilan, and Iris all stand together with all of their current Pokémon)

(Ash: Pikachu, Oshawott, Snivy, Tepig, Pidove, Scraggy)  
(Takeru: Riolu, Tranquill, Tepig, Joltik, Zorua, Petilil)  
(Iris: Axew and Excadrill)  
(Cilan: Pansage and Dwebble)

**(Opening ends)**

"A war between humans and Pokémon, huh?" Takeru sighed, feeling guilty about reading the book now. He put the book back, seeing Lenora asking Ash to read a book before a Gym battle.

"Alright, Ash! I would think that you would want to study up the Unova region before our battle!" Lenora reminded. Ash frowned at that, reminding the Nacrene Gym Leader about something.

"The thing is, a Gym battle is what we really came here for." "Pikachu." Ash and Pikachu explained. "Of course you did! That's why I brought you to our library first!" Lenora explained.

The Kanto trainer blinked in confusion as the Gym Leader explained the reason for this. "Right! You see, the only people that are allowed to use our magnificent library are either researchers or Gym battle trainers!" Lenora explained.

"Challengers?" Ash repeated. "Good! Very good... Knowledge can be good for a Pokémon battle!" Lenora explained. "Yeah...?" Ash asked, frowning even more. "Pikachu?" Pikachu asked.

Lenora walked up to a bookshelf, knocking on one of the books. "I recommend that you read one of these books!" Lenora suggested. Takeru stepped up besides his Kanto friend as Ash tried to explain again.

"You see, I really didn't come to Nacrene City to read." Ash explained. "Pika Pika..." Pikachu agreed. "I can think of worse things than to read!" Iris reminded, causing Takeru to frown a little.

"I don't see you coming up with anything worse..." Takeru muttered. Cilan then stepped up, reminding the two boys. "Remember, you two. This may be part of your Gym battle." Cilan reminded.

"So... You mean to say that your method of getting us to read is just a test to us for our Gym battle?" Takeru asked, glancing at his Connoisseur friend. "Well, like I said, it's quite possible!" Cilan assured.

Riolu peeked out of his human brother's jacket hood, before looking around to see a lot of books. _"That's a lot of books... But, where is the battlefield, big bro?"_ Riolu asked, curious.

"We're about to find out soon enough, Riolu..." Takeru answered. As he said that, Ash let out a loud yell, startling the two. "AHHH! Okay! If it'll help things get going for my Gym battle, I'll read anything!" Ash snapped.

He walked up to the bookshelf where Lenora had recommended to. He then pulled on a book, making his guess. "This one, right- Ah!?" Ash started, then yelped. As he pulled on the book, it triggered some sort of a switch.

The bookshelf rose up, much to the group's surprise. As it completely rose up, the floor revealed an underground staircase. _"Whoa..."_ "Pika Pika..." Riolu and Pikachu said in awe.

"Uh... What's down there?" Ash asked, stuttering. Lenora chuckled and sighed. "Ash! It's the battlefield, of course!" Lenora answered. "Tell me, dear. Don't you think that this challenger is quite direct?" Hawes asked.

"I sure do! It's just as Yamada was saying." Lenora explained. Ash widened his eyes as Takeru blinked, hearing her say his last name. "You see, I've been testing the two of you boys, right when you boys stepped in here!" Lenora explained.

"So, I was right... This was a test... A test of our knowledge and guts, right?" Takeru asked. The Nacrene Gym Leader chuckled with a nod, as she looked at the other bookshelves.

"Yes! You see, for most challengers, when I recommend that they read a book, nine times out of ten go directly to a book to what they're most interested in!" Lenora explained. "Wow... From all of these?" Iris asked.

"That's correct! Even though I show them to the quickest way to my Gym!" Lenora explained. "But, why do that?" Cilan asked. The Gym Leader continued, recalling of her previous challengers.

"Because most of my challengers can get too sidetracked by reading too much of what I say! So, in order to rush into the Gym, they usually choose books they're interested in! Or thin books so that they can finish quickly!" Lenora explained.

Takeru narrowed his eyes, looking at all the books. "I can see what you mean... For once, I was a bit sidetracked because of the history book I was reading on." Takeru explained.

"Oh? And what's that book?" Lenora asked. "It's about the Swords of Justice... Though, I didn't finish reading, though." Takeru answered. Riolu nodded his head in agreement as he also looked at the book, too.

"I see... Well, in this case, I can generally tell what a trainer is going to be like on how they react in this kind of situation!" Lenora explained. Hawes nodded along, also getting the situation.

"So, what kind of trainer do you think Ash and Takeru are?" Iris asked, holding onto the two boys' shoulder. "H-Huh!?" Ash yelped as Takeru blinked. Lenora answered with her knowledge statement.

"What you see is what you get! Ash has risen aggressively, just as soon as I challenged him! While he did that, Takeru was careful and strategic enough to see what I meant!" Lenora evaluated.

She then let out a glaring smirk, making her statement. "And know, I am more curious to observe on how that carefulness and aggressiveness will help the two boys when we get to the battlefield!" Lenora concluded.

"I think it will be very easy to predict!" Hawes assured. Takeru narrowed his eyes, glaring at the two. "So... You're saying we're predictable, huh?" Takeru asked, not liking their tone.

"Ash... I think they've got your number..." Iris giggled nervously. "Ha... Fine! Just watch and see! Check us out on all you want! I'm really stoked for this!" Ash assured with a determined grin.

"The same goes for me! I'd like to see how your observation will affect you in the battle, along with my carefulness!" Takeru added. "Pika!" _"That's our challenge!"_ Pikachu and Riolu pointed out.

"I like both of your spirits, boys. Let's go!" Lenora called. So, everyone walked downstairs to head for the battlefield. Lenora turned on the lights, and showed the group the battlefield.

"Alright now! Here it is! This is our battlefield!" Lenora pointed out. Everyone looked around, amazed to see the underground battlefield. "Pika..." "Whoa..." "Awesome..." Pikachu, Ash, and Iris commented.

Immediately, Ash ran to the middle of the battlefield, ready to go. "Alright! Let's get it going, now!" Ash demanded. Lenora chuckled with a sigh as she walked over with an embarrassed smile.

"Let's take a deep breath! You're quite the impatient one, are you? Perhaps you and Takeru should research on what kind of Gym Leader I am! Like what Pokémon I'm going to be using today!" Lenora explained.

She threw a Pokéball, which summoned a familiar Pokémon from yesterday night. It was Watchog! "I believe the three of you had met." Lenora reminded. The Nuvema boy walked over with a small nod.

"Yeah... That's the Pokémon you sent to help us with the Yamask incident." Takeru recalled. "Correct! And now for my other one! Come on out and help!" Lenora called, throwing another Pokéball.

The ball opened, revealing itself to be a puppy looking Pokémon. "Pup! Pup!" The Pokémon barked in a puppy tone. Iris squealed of seeing the cute looking puppy. "Aww! It's so cute!" Iris squealed.

She ran over to the Normal Type, picking it up happily. "Hello there!" Iris giggled. Being friendly, the Pokémon jumped into Iris' arms, much to her content and surprise. "So cute!" Iris giggled.

"Pup pup!" Lillipup barked happily as Iris giggled once more. "Oh... I'm so in love with your Lillipup!" Iris exclaimed. Both Pikachu and Riolu jumped out of their trainers' shoulder, both wanting to greet Lillipup.

Ash took out his Pokédex, scanning Lillipup. "Okay... Lillipup..." Ash replied. _"Lillipup, the Puppy Pokémon. The long hair covering Lillipup's face is an excellent radar, which senses conditions in the surrounding area."_ Ash's Pokédex buzzed.

"So! Those are my two Pokémon!" Lenora concluded, gesturing to the two. Ash looked at his Pokédex, looking over Lenora's two Pokémon. "And both of those Pokémon are Normal Types!" Ash pointed out.

"You see, both Lillipup and Watchog are excellent Pokémon, which they always listen to Lenora's commands! They're such excellent Pokémon that they help out with museum security!" Hawes explained.

"I see..." Takeru replied, giving a small smile. "Pup!" Lillipup barked. Everyone looked down to see Lillipup panting happily, while looking up at the two boys. Ash picked the Normal Type up with a grin.

"Hey there! You're a friendly looking Pokémon!" Ash chuckled, grinning. Lillipup barked back happily, while nuzzling Ash at the same time, much to the Kanto trainer's enjoyment.

"Normal Type Pokémon are perfect types of Pokémon in Gym battles, because they don't have any kinds of limitations of Pokémon that are bound to a certain element!" Lenora explained.

Takeru listened, as the Gym Leader looked at the laughing Ash, who was getting his cheek licked by Lillipup. "This allows me to use the flexibility to respond to any strategies challengers may use against me!" Lenora explained.

However, Ash didn't seem to listen as he was too focused on the playful Lillipup. "Lillipup, hope you are nice to us today!" Ash teased. Takeru chuckled nervously as Iris frowned in disappointment.

"Did you even hear of what Lenora had said?" Iris asked. "Showing what Pokémon Lenora is going to use before the battle... What a delightful fragrance! The scent of confidence!" Cilan chuckled.

Iris turned to the Connoisseur, only for her to hear what Cilan has to say for his evaluations. Takeru chuckled nervously again. "Here we go! One of Cilan's Pokémon Connoisseur evaluation!" Takeru chuckled.

"A Gym Leader who possesses the combination of testing her challengers first, and then using Normal Type Pokémon who has no limitations at all! A perfect battle recipe!" Cilan declared.

"I'm so pleased to hear you say that, Connoisseur Boy! That's precisely just the type of battle that I love! Now, Hawes... If you would please explain the rules..." Lenora requested.

"Of course, dear!... Alright then! The Nacrene City Gym battle between Ash, the challenger, and Lenora, the Gym Leader will begin by each selecting two of their Pokémon!" Hawes started.

Takeru frowned, hoping to not mistake what Hawes said. "Did you say two Pokémon?" Takeru asked. Hawes chuckled and adjusted his glasses, while answering the question at the same time.

"Correct! It's two on two! And when either the Gym Leader or challenger's Pokémon are left unable to battle, the battle will be decided! In addition, both Pokémon can be freely substituted at any time!" Hawes explained.

Ash thought it over, trying to think up a strategy. "A two on two..." Ash whispered. "You can see that each and every Gym has its own unique rules! Reflecting the Gym Leader's own unique ways of bringing out the best of their challengers!" Cilan explained.

Lenora smiled and walked up. "I've already decided on who to choose first! I choose Lillipup!" Lenora declared. The Kanto trainer blinked, before looking at the little Puppy Pokémon.

"Lillipup, huh?" Ash repeated, thinking it over. Iris frowned, wondering of what Ash's choice would be. "I wonder who Ash is going to go with..." Iris wondered. Takeru folded his arms in thought, too.

"Well... He obviously doesn't have a Fighting Type Pokémon... So, he will have to bring out the Pokémon that would be best suited for Normal Types..." Takeru explained, recalling Ash's five Pokémon.

"I got it! Lillipup, you get ready!" Ash warned. Lillipup nodded as it ran off, sitting right in front of its trainer. Ash began to search through his Pokéballs, thinking to make his choice.

He took out two of his Pokéballs before turning to his three friends. "Alright... I'm counting on you two!... Cilan! Iris! Takeru! Would you three watch Pikachu for me?" Ash asked.

"It'll be our pleasure, Ash! Just go with the flow!" Takeru called. That left the Kanto trainer confused of what the Nuvema boy meant. But, he shook it off, before giving a nod.

"First things first! Watchog, return!" Lenora called. She returned her evolved Normal Type back to its Pokéball, before turning to the Kanto trainer. "What do you say that we start?" Lenora asked.

"You bet!" Ash agreed. So, the two battlers went to their sides of the battlefield, as Hawes walked over to the referee box, explaining the rules once again.

"Alright! The Nacrene City Gym battle between Lenora and Ash is about to begin! It's Lenora, the Gym Leader! And Ash, the challenger from Pallet Town! Challenger has the first move! And, let the battle begin!" Hawes declared.

Lenora called her Lillipup out for battle. "Lillipup, let's go!" Lenora called. The Puppy Pokémon ran to the battlefield, facing Ash. It gave an angry and determined look, much to Iris' shock.

"Oh my! Lillipup looks tough!" Iris exclaimed in shock. "You can't underestimate a Pokémon just because it looks cute. A cute Pokémon can have a nasty side, too!" Takeru reminded.

_"Who is Ash going to battle with, big bro? I think maybe... Tepig?"_ Riolu guessed. The Nuvema boy shrugged, before glancing at his Emanation Pokémon. "We'll see, Riolu. We'll see..." Takeru assured.

"Go get 'em, Ash!" "Axew ew ew!" Iris and Axew cheered out loud. The Kanto trainer grinned as he made his strategy. "Lillipup sure looks ready to rock and roll!" Ash commented, before taking out his first Pokéball.

"Well, we're ready to go, too! Tepig, I choose you!" Ash called. The Fire Type Pokémon appeared on the battlefield, ready to go. "Wow! Tepig's got the spirit as well!" Cilan exclaimed.

"I guess you were right about Ash's first choice, Riolu." Takeru complimented, as he rubbed Riolu's head. "Thanks, big bro..." Riolu growled in content, before nuzzling his human brother's cheek back.

**Lenora: Lillipup + 1 VS Ash: Tepig + 1**

"Tepig knows that Ash is trusting it great! It wants to live up to that trust!" Iris pointed out. The Nuvema boy folded his arms, looking at the two Pokémon that's about to battle.

"Well, trust can't always win a battle for you, if you get what I mean..." Takeru reminded. Iris and Cilan looked at the Nuvema boy in confusion while Riolu narrowed his eyes, knowing what his human brother meant.

"Alright, Tepig! Use Ember!" Ash called. The Fire Type leapt in the air, preparing to shoot his Ember attack. But, that was when Lenora made her countermove! "Alright, Lillipup! Use Roar!" Lenora shouted.

The Puppy Pokémon glowed in red aura, before it let out a Roar, which startled Tepig! Surprisingly, the Fire Type was returned to Ash, much to his shock. Then, the other Pokéball opened, revealing Oshawott!

The Water Type blinked slowly, before blinking its eyes in surprise as it looked around. Iris, Axew, Riolu, and Pikachu was all surprised at the sudden move, with Cilan and Takeru frowning together.

"Excellent move..." Cilan commented. Back at the battle, the Kanto trainer blinked in surprise, not sure of what had happened. "What... just happened?" Ash asked, blinking several times.

"Hm hm hm... So, I assume that you never had Roar used against you, have you? You see, Roar is a powerful move that will force one's opponent to switch out their Pokémon!" Lenora explained.

Oshawott grew puzzled as he turned back to his trainer in worry. "Oshawott?" Oshawott asked, frowning. Lillipup was then returned to its own Pokéball, as the Gym Leader got ready to send out her next Pokémon.

"In that case, I'll switch my Pokémon, too! Watchog, it's your turn now! Come on out!" Lenora called. She summoned her evolved Normal Type Pokémon to battle. As it was sent out, Watchog gave Oshawott a menacing glare.

That caused the Sea Otter Pokémon to gulp, trying to take a step back. Ash frowned, digging out Oshawott's Pokéball. "So now Lenora's going to use Watchog... Oshawott, return!" Ash called.

But, right at that moment, Lenora called out her second best move! "Mean Look, let's go!" Lenora shouted. Watchog smirked as its eyes glowed. Several mean looking eyes surrounded Oshawott.

As the illusion eyes stared, Oshawott started to glow in purple aura, giving him a strange feeling. Takeru widened his eyes, before narrowing them. "I see... So, that's part of her strategy!" Takeru grunted.

For Ash, he grew startled by the illusion, but he immediately shook it off. "W-What?... Return!" Ash called. He tried to call back his Water Type, only for the red beam to bounce off!

Both the Kanto trainer and his Water Type blinked in shock at this. "What!? But how!?" Ash exclaimed. "Give it up, Ash! You're wasting your time! Mean Look is a move that prevents a Pokémon from exiting the battle!" Lenora explained.

Ash gritted his teeth, realizing that he's been immediately thrown off by the Nacrene Gym Leader's cunning strategy. "No... way... Now, what could I do!?" Ash asked himself, as he glared at his tough opponent.

With the two battles coming to Ash and Takeru's way, Ash's battle with Lenora starts first, only for him to gain a bad start! How will Ash counter this? Will Takeru fall for the same trick?

To be continued...

**Takeru's Team:**

**Riolu: (M): (Force Palm, Blaze Kick, ThunderPunch, Dig)**

**Joltik: (M): (Electro Ball, Electroweb, String Shot, Signal Beam)**

**Tranquill: (M): (Air Cutter, Gust, Roost, Aerial Ace)**

**Tepig: (M): (Flamethrower, Smog, Flame Charge, Rollout)**

**Egg: (N/A): This Egg has moved once, so it's close to hatching soon.**

Next chapters:

**Chapter 30: The Nacrene Gym Battle! Pt. 2**

**Chapter 31: Ash VS Takeru! Ash's Training!**

**Chapter 32: Ash VS Lenora! A Second Chance!**

**Chapter 33: Scraggy and Zorua! Two Mischiefs!?**

**Chapter 34: Go Scraggy and Zorua!? Double Trouble!**

**Next chapter preview:**

Ash: Aw man... I totally blew it... I was caught off guard with Lenora's tricky battling skills...

Cilan: The combination of Roar, then using Mean Look... That is a nasty, but an amazing combo to deal with...

Lenora: Well then! Takeru Yamada, I believe you are next for my battling challenger! Show me what you've got in your battling style!

Takeru: Alright then... But, watch out! Since your battle with Ash gave me an idea... There is no way I'm going to lose this battle that easily!

Ash: What is he saying? Does he know what to do to counter Lenora's Roar and Mean Look combination strategy?

Iris: Obviously... He probably came up with something that Lenora might not be able to predict! He might have a chance in his battle!


	30. The Nacrene Gym Battle! Pt 2

**Chapter 30: The Nacrene Gym Battle! Pt. 2**

Last time on "Pokémon Unova Journey", Lenora and Hawes were guiding Ash, Takeru, Iris, and Cilan to their advanced library, where only researchers and challengers were allowed to go through.

Ash was more interested in having his Gym battle, while Takeru looked at a book that was about the Swords of Justice. He read about Virizion, until Lenora issued a small test for the two boys.

Ash, however, managed to pass that test in flying colors when he picked his first book, which opened the door to the Gym battlefield, much to the group's amazement. As they got there, Lenora had shown them their two Pokémon.

One was Watchog from yesterday night. The other was Lillipup, who was a happy Pokémon on the outside, while a tough and angry one on the inside part. Ash began his Gym battle by starting it off with Tepig.

However, he was caught off guard when Lillipup had used Roar, forcing Oshawott to be summoned at the battlefield, while also forcing Tepig to back out! Lenora decided to switch out for her Watchog,

Then, her next combo had locked Oshawott out of its Pokéball with Mean Look. Now, with the combo locked onto Ash and his Pokémon, how does he plan to gain victory at this state?

**Lenora: Watchog + 1 VS Ash: Oshawott + 1**

As the illusion eyes stared, Oshawott started to glow in purple aura, giving him a strange feeling. Takeru widened his eyes, before narrowing them. "I see... So, that's part of her strategy!" Takeru grunted.

For Ash, he grew startled by the illusion, but he immediately shook it off. "W-What?... Return!" Ash called. He tried to call back his Water Type, only for the red beam to bounce off!

Both the Kanto trainer and his Water Type blinked in shock at this. "What!? But how!?" Ash exclaimed. "Give it up, Ash! You're wasting your time! Mean Look is a move that prevents a Pokémon from exiting the battle!" Lenora explained.

Ash gritted his teeth, realizing that he's been immediately thrown off by the Nacrene Gym Leader's cunning strategy. "No... way... Now, what could I do!?" Ash asked himself, as he glared at his tough opponent.

"I've never seen that combination before!" Iris admitted. "Well... It's a tricky and a clever one for sure. To catch your opponent off guard with Roar, then locking them in place with Mean Look... It's a nasty combo, alright. Takeru explained.

That however, only made Riolu even more determined for his incoming battle. _"I'm feeling more psyched after seeing that combo! I just have to battle with either of those two!"_ Riolu barked, grinning.

The Nuvema boy smirked and shook his head, as he kept watching the battle. Ash was a bit frustrated at this combination, seeing that his plan for a surprise attack was completely ruined.

_"I was gonna have Tepig use Ember to throw them off guard, and then have Oshawott finish it up with Razor Shell! But now, I can't even use the combination that I've wanted!"_ Ash thought, annoyed.

"It's not really difficult to see how off-balanced you are..." Lenora taunted, as Cilan watched. "And Lenora's testing of Ash goes on and on! If he gets caught off guard this early... It'll be hard to recover!" Cilan pointed out.

"Ash, move on already. Oshawott has no choice but to battle now." Lenora reminded. Seeing that he had no choice, the Kanto trainer agreed, ready to continue. "Yeah! Let's do it! Your turn just came up a little early!" Ash assured.

The Sea Otter Pokémon sighed, shaking his head with frustration, a bit similar to his trainer. "It looks like Oshawott is not amused!" Iris guessed. Cilan frowned, knowing of one reason.

"It's probably upset that it has been battling earlier than planned!" Cilan guessed. Takeru watched, narrowing his eyes. "Still... I'm afraid that he's just gonna have to go along with it." Takeru sighed.

He's getting a nasty feeling that this battle were to be over soon. "Oshawott! Use Water Gun!" "Use Low Kick!" The two trainers called. Oshawott weakly shot a Water Gun, as Watchog easily dodged.

It used its tail, smacking the Water Type off the ground, much to his startle. "Oshawott, no!" Ash gasped. The evolved Normal Type shot back to where it was, as Iris grew amazed.

"Wow... Watchog is fast!" Iris pointed out. "And very good at choosing when to move and when to move not to!" Cilan added. "Pika Pika..." Pikachu agreed, frowning a little. Ash took a step, calling for his Water Type.

"Hey, Oshawott! You okay!?" Ash called. His answer came when Oshawott had a darkened face, like a menacing and an angry one. He then grew determined to win, patting his scalchop.

"Alright! It's payback time! And we're just getting warmed up!" Ash assured. The Gym Leader was already onto her next attack, getting ready for some more. At the same time, she was impressed.

"That's the kind of spirit that I like! And here's a sample of ours! Alright, Watchog! Use Thunderbolt!" Lenora called. The Nuvema widened his eyes at that. "Wait... Watchog can use Thunderbolt!?" Takeru gasped.

_"Uh oh... If that hits, it'll be all over for Oshawott!"_ Riolu gasped. But, the Kanto trainer was ready as he made a defense order. "Deflect it with your scalchop!" Ash called, narrowing his eyes.

The Sea Otter Pokémon took out his scalchop, deflecting the Thunderbolt, causing it to fail. "Whoa..." Takeru replied, amazed with such defense force. Even Watchog was surprised with the scalchop defense.

"Yeah! Oshawott, way to go!" Ash complimented. Lenora blinked, which seemed like she was surprised, too. "Oh!? So a Water Type can deflect Electric Type attacks like that? I'm officially impressed!" Lenora admitted.

The Kanto trainer nodded and made his shot for an attack. "Alright! Let's counter! Oshawott, attack!" Ash called. The Sea Otter Pokémon ran towards Watchog to make his move, leaving Takeru to frown.

"Wait... He's gonna charge head in for an attack!?" Takeru exclaimed in surprise. Riolu and Pikachu both blinked to see what the Kanto trainer was planning to do. Lenora smirked, as she called out her attack.

"Watchog! If they want a close range battle, we'll give them one! Use Low Kick!" Lenora called. Watchog charged forward, ready to make another surprise attack. But then, Ash only smirked at that.

"I was waiting for that!" Ash smirked. That left the Gym Leader surprised, as she took a step back. "Waiting!?" Lenora repeated in surprise. Ash nodded and called out his countermove.

"Alright! Oshawott, jump up and over Watchog!" Ash called. The Water Type leapt over the evolved Normal Type, as both Lenora and Watchog gasped in surprise. "What's going on!?" Lenora demanded.

"I'll show you! Use Water Gun, let's go!" Ash called. Oshawott made his surprise attack, splashing Watchog away, making some damage. "Hey, it worked!" Iris exclaimed. "Pika!" Pikachu agreed.

"I don't believe it... So this is what he was planning?... Ash never ceases to amaze me..." Takeru chuckled, as he shook his head. _"Wow... I didn't see that coming, too!"_ Riolu barked in amazement.

"Ash has always been good with the element of the surprise!" Cilan commented. Back at the battle, both Ash and his Water Type were getting more and more pumped up than ever.

"Way to go! Keep up with the attack! Use Razor Shell!" Ash called. The Sea Otter Pokémon took out his scalchop, ready to some extra damage to his opponent. Lenora was more than ready to counter.

"Watchog! Knock Oshawott away with your tail!" Lenora called. The Normal Type recovered from the Water Gun attack and spun on its back. With the power from its spinning, it slammed the scalchop from Oshawott's paw!

The scalchop clattered on the ground, far away from the two Pokémon. Ash widened his eyes, knowing that his Water Type was vulnerable to defend against his opponent's attacks now!

"Oh no!" Ash gasped. The others gasped as well, seeing that the Sea Otter Pokémon was wide open for a direct attack now. "Alright! Watchog, use Thunderbolt!" Lenora called.

The Normal Type leapt in the air, before it zapped his Water Type opponent directly. Oshawott groaned, before he fell down, fainted from the direct Thunderbolt attack it took.

"Oshawott is unable to battle! So Watchog wins!" Hawes called, gesturing towards the Gym Leader's side.

**Ash: 1 Pokémon**

The Kanto trainer gritted his teeth before he returned his Water Type back to its Pokéball. He looked at the Pokéball, thanking Oshawott, before he glanced back at Lenora and Watchog.

"Oshawott, you were great! I was planning on surprising them with Water Gun and then finishing it up with Razor Shell... But, my close range strategy didn't work!" Ash admitted.

"Oh... It seemed to be going so well with Water Gun starting it off..." Iris admitted. Cilan frowned and folded his arms. "Actually, I don't think it was..." Cilan stated, leaving both Takeru and Iris staring.

"What do you mean?" Takeru asked. "Well, Ash and Oshawott did do a good job... By avoiding Watchog's Low Kick by jumping above it... But I think that Lenora's moves were even better than that." Cilan explained.

"You mean when they lured Oshawott away by knocking away Oshawott's scalchop?" Iris asked. "Mm hm. She knew what Ash was going to do... Lenora is amazing..." Cilan commented.

Takeru bit his lips, knowing if that was the case, then it's going to be much harder for Ash to win with just Tepig. Lenora took out her Pokéball, returning Watchog for it to recover.

"Now Watchog, return!" Lenora called. The Normal Type Pokémon was returned back to its Pokéball, as Ash blinked in surprise. "You're switching out Pokémon?" Ash asked. The Gym Leader smiled as she took out Lillipup's Pokéball.

"Yes! This is starting to be fun! Lillipup, it's your turn!" Lenora called. The ball opened, revealing the same, fiery Lillipup from before. "Alright... I guess our battle is boiled down to this!" Ash decided.

He took out Tepig's Pokéball, summoning his Fire Type once again. "Remember our training! Tepig, I choose you!" Ash called. The Fire Type appeared, ready to battle once again.

"Wow! Tepig's got even more spirit than before! Tepig seems to be more psyched than ever even when he was forced out by Roar!" Iris exclaimed in amazement. Takeru and Cilan only watched with serious looks on their faces.

"Tepig will have to carry on after Oshawott. And Lenora's not gonna let up a single bit!" Cilan reminded. Takeru sighed. He imagined Tepig going against the strong Lillipup and Watchog both at the same time.

The results would be irrelevant. "Use Tackle!" Ash called. Tepig charged towards the Puppy Pokémon as Lenora smirked. "Dodge it!" Lenora called. Lillipup quickly went to one side, much to Tepig's surprise.

"Whoa... That's fast!" Ash exclaimed. "Use Shadow Ball!" Lenora shouted. Once the Normal Type stopped, it launched the Ghost Type attack, which exploded right onto Tepig!

Tepig yelped as he took the direct hit, with Ash gasping. "Tepig, no!" Ash yelled. The smoke cleared, showing that the Fire Type was okay, but it took a lot of damage from the Ghost Type attack.

"Argh... Stay strong, and use Ember!" Ash called. Tepig shot into the air, shooting the Fire Type attack towards Lillipup. Lenora immediately countered with another one of her attacks.

"Lillipup, Take Down! Let's go!" Lenora called. The Puppy Pokémon charged towards Tepig, negating the Ember attack! Both Ash and Takeru widened their eyes in shock that Ember wasn't working!

"Why won't Ember work!?" "Ash! Don't just stand there! Get Tepig out of there!" Takeru yelped, while the Kanto trainer panicked. But, it was too late, as the Take Down attack did its work.

The physical attack slammed the Fire Type away, causing it to faint. "Tepig is unable to battle! So, Lillipup wins! And the victor goes to Lenora, the Gym Leader!" Hawes declared.

**Winner: Lenora**

The Normal Type gave a happy pant, before it howled in triumph. Tepig watched with a sad face, knowing that it had lost very easily against a small Pokémon like that. It gave a sigh as Ash ran over.

"Tepig, thanks for the help. You battled really well!" Ash complimented. Despite his compliments, the Fire Type sighed, knowing that it wasn't really true. Pikachu and Riolu came over, as the Kanto trainer knelt down.

"Come on... Don't feel so sad! The truth is... it was my fault that we lost this, not yours... I'm really sorry that you have such a weak trainer... Like me..." Ash sighed, disappointed in himself.

Both Tepig and Pikachu looked back, feeling sorry for Ash. Takeru, Iris, and Cilan all walked over, smiling sadly. "Ash..." Iris sighed, looking down. "It's a shame about the battle..." Cilan admitted.

The Kanto trainer sighed, shaking his head. "Both Oshawott and Tepig really battled hard for me, but still... I guess that I've still got a lot to learn..." Ash sighed. The Nuvema boy frowned, before he walked to Ash, offering a hand.

The Kanto trainer blinked in surprise, before he took it with thanks, as the Nuvema boy helped him up. "Yeah... It's true that you've still got a long way to go, but you can't feel depressed right now..." Takeru reminded.

Ash blinked, before smiling with agreement. "Yeah... You're right..." Ash agreed. He then looked at Lenora with a request in mind. "Excuse me, Lenora? Thanks very much for battling against me." Ash thanked, bowing down.

"I really like your attitude, Ash... You really have high spirits! You can come challenge me again anytime!" Lenora assured with a wink. She then glanced at Takeru, who glanced back.

"As for me, I've got another battle to do, against you this time, Yamada boy." Lenora teased, causing the Nuvema boy to flush. "Must you say that right in front of me, Lenora?" Takeru asked, shaking his head.

Iris and Cilan chuckled at that, while Ash smiled weakly at the teasing. And so, with Lenora treating her Pokémon at the Pokémon Center, it only took them fifteen minutes to recover, due to them only taking little damage.

And so, the Gym Leader was back, facing her next challenger, Takeru, this time. Ash, Iris, and Cilan all watched from the sides. Pikachu and Axew also watched, prepared to see the battle.

"The Nacrene City Gym battle between Takeru, the challenger, and Lenora, the Gym Leader will begin by each selecting two of their Pokémon! And the battle will be over when either side's Pokémon are unable to battle!" Hawes explained.

Both trainers took out their Pokéballs as the others watched. "What's Takeru going to choose? I know that Riolu should be an obvious choice... But, maybe Tranquill?" Iris asked.

"We'll just have to see on how the battle ends up." Cilan reminded. "Alright then! Lillipup, I need you out again!" Lenora called. The Puppy Pokémon appeared, ready to battle and win.

It growled at the Nuvema boy, who only let out a small smirk. "Humph. Tepig, show them your stuff!" Takeru called. The Fire Pig Pokémon appeared, ready for a tough battle, leaving Lenora surprised.

"Oh? It seems to me that Lillipup won't be facing just one Tepig, but two? This should be interesting." Lenora admitted with a smile. Both Pokémon growled at each other, with both trainers ready.

"Whoa... Both Tepig and Lillipup are looking ready to go!" Ash commented. "Pika!" Pikachu agreed. Riolu stood besides his human brother, bracing himself if he gets dragged out to battle.

"Challenger makes the first move! And now... Battle begin!" Hawes called.

**Lenora: Lillipup + 1 VS Takeru: Tepig + 1**

"Tepig, use Smog!" Takeru called. Tepig shot out toxic smoke from his nose, as Lenora countered. "Lillipup! Use Roar!" Lenora called. Immediately, the Puppy Pokémon roared, blowing the Smog away.

However, some of it got to the Normal Type, causing it to be poisoned! "Oh no!" Lenora gasped. Tepig was forced to return to its Pokéball, as Riolu widened his eyes, being dragged into the battle!

_"Whoa!... That was uncalled for..."_ Riolu grumbled, shaking his head. He took a fighting stance, right after Lenora returned her poisoned Puppy Pokémon. "Just like before... I'm switching out as well." Lenora assured.

She returned Lillipup back to its Pokéball, as she summoned Watchog to the field. "Watchog, it's your turn again!" Lenora called. The evolved Normal Type appeared, glaring at Riolu.

The Emanation Pokémon only glared back as Lenora made her move. "Alright, Watchog! Use Mean Look!" Lenora called. Once again, like with Oshawott, Watchog created illusions of eyes.

It surrounded Riolu, preventing him to escape from battle. "That was pointless... Riolu won't be switched, no matter what opponent he faces." Takeru assured. _"Yeah. I never back down from a challenge!"_ Riolu barked out.

That let Watchog only smirk in amusement as he got ready. "I like that spirit! But, can you keep that up? Watchog, use Low Kick!" Lenora called. Watchog charged at Riolu, who was ready.

"Block it with your tail!" Takeru called. The Fighting Type flipped in the air, blocking the Low Kick with his tail, much to Lenora's surprise. "What's this!?" Lenora exclaimed, as Watchog blinked.

"Now, use Blaze Kick!" Takeru called. Riolu used his burning leg, kicking Watchog's stomach! The Normal Type skidded back, as he glared at his little opponent, amused by the high spirit.

"Not bad, kid... But, that's as far as you go! Watchog, use Thunderbolt!" Lenora called. Electricity was shot at Riolu, as the Nuvema boy countered. "Repel it with ThunderPunch!" Takeru called.

Riolu used his fists, surrounded by electricity. It blocked the Thunderbolt, much to Lenora's surprise. "Oh my! So, it uses its fist to block an Electric attack? I have to say, it's impressive." Lenora smirked.

Ash widened his eyes in surprise. "Hold on... Takeru looks like he planned this all along!" Ash pointed out. "Pikachu!" Pikachu exclaimed. Cilan folded his arms and nodded, looking at both sides.

"I get it... So, that's why he sent Tepig out first! To fool the opponent when Lenora used Roar, and then to force Riolu to fight, despite of it having an advantage over Lenora's attacks!" Cilan exclaimed.

He smiled, glancing at his Nuvema friend. "I don't think I've ever seen Takeru so spicy in determination! He's got Lenora's moves all planned out!" Cilan chuckled. "Amazing..." Iris commented.

"That's not all! Use Dig!" Takeru called. Riolu dug underground, as Watchog looked around. "Keep a sharp eye out, Watchog. Riolu could come out any second now..." Lenora warned.

Watchog nodded as he carefully inspected the ground. Suddenly, under him, the ground began to crack, catching Watchog's attention. "There! Watchog, use Thunderbolt!" Lenora called.

Watchog shot into the air, launching a Thunderbolt attack at the crack. The move exploded on the ground, catching everyone by surprise. "Oh no!" "Did it hit!?" Ash and Iris gasped.

Pikachu and Axew watched as well, as the dust cleared. When it cleared, there was no sign of Riolu, but a big hole on the ground! "Impossible!? We missed!?" Lenora gasped in surprise.

"Right back at you! Riolu! Force Palm!" Takeru called. Underneath Watchog, the power of Force Palm exploded! Watchog yelled in pain as it was sent flying into the air. "What!?" Lenora gasped.

"Now! Blaze Kick!" Takeru shouted. Out of the ground, Riolu came, bashing Watchog to the ground. "What power... To fool Lenora while making a double surprise attack!" Cilan commented.

"Hey, if this keeps up, then maybe Takeru might win this!" Iris exclaimed, excited. The Gym Leader only smirked in amusement, as Watchog recovered, getting up.

"Don't think that victory can't easily be claimed! Watchog, use Confuse Ray!" Lenora called. Watchog shot a confusing light towards Riolu, who blinked in surprise. "Dodge with Dig!" Takeru called.

Before Confuse Ray could hit, Riolu dug underground, evading the attack. "Use Thunderbolt on that hole, Watchog! Don't let Riolu get away!" Lenora called. Watchog nodded as he leapt, launching the Electric Type attack.

The hole exploded from the powerful electricity, creating a much bigger hole. However, Riolu was already out of sight, as Lenora frowned. "No... It got away again! Eyes clear, Watchog!" Lenora warned.

Watchog glanced and looked around, trying to track his Fighting Type opponent. "Force Palm, again!" Takeru called. Like before, Force Palm exploded right underneath Watchog, as Lenora countered it.

"Don't think that we're falling for it twice! Use Low Kick!" Lenora called. Watchog dove towards the ground, slamming his tail on the ground, as Force Palm made impact, creating a huge explosion.

Everyone covered themselves as both battlers watched carefully. The dust cleared, showing Watchog covered with bruises. Riolu was only covered in scratches, not taking a lot of damage.

"Whoa..." Ash awed, amazed with the power. A few seconds passed, as the Lookout Pokémon groaned, before falling to the ground, fainting. "Oh no! Watchog!?" Lenora gasped as Hawes gasped along.

"O-Oh! Watchog is unable to battle! So, the winner is Riolu!" Hawes declared, pointing to the Nuvema Boy's side. Riolu took a deep breath, before getting ready for his next opponent.

**Lenora: 1 Pokémon**

The others were amazed at such power. "Awesome! Takeru and Riolu took down Watchog with ease!" Iris complimented. "The calm personality of Riolu shows that he's showing his powers at an impressive rate!" Cilan commented.

"Pika..." "Axew..." Even Pikachu and Axew were amazed at Riolu's power. Ash frowned, looking at Takeru. "Now I see why he's the top Trainer of the Battle Club... Will I ever be able to beat him?" Ash asked.

Lenora returned Watchog, thanking it for its help. He then smiled at the Nuvema boy, who kept his calm composure up. "I'm impressed! Using the blow of Force Palm to make a direct hit, it's an impressive strategy, alright." Lenora complimented.

"Thanks for the compliment, Lenora. Although, I have to say that your reaction to our combination was pretty amazing as well..." Takeru admitted with a small, but serious smile on his face.

The Gym Leader smiled, taking out Lillipup's Pokémon. "I appreciate your compliment, Takeru... But, we still have a battle to finish! Lillipup, it's your turn now!" Lenora called, summoning the Puppy Pokémon.

Once again, Lillipup growled at Riolu, who growled back. However, due to Smog's side effect, Lillipup was still poisoned, which put it to a disadvantage. Iris noticed it as she blinked.

"Hey... Lillipup looks hurt of something..." Iris replied. Cilan watched, nodding. "That's right... Because of Smog's effect, Lillipup is now poisoned at this rate!" Cilan pointed out.

"So, that must mean that Takeru has a bigger chance of winning now!" Ash pointed out. Back at the battle, Lenora made the first attack. "Don't let your guard down, just because we're poisoned!" Lenora warned.

"Trust me... I don't let my guard down when it comes to a battle. And neither does Riolu!" Takeru assured. Riolu let out a huff, gesturing Lillipup to come on. The Puppy Pokémon growled with battle spirit.

The Gym Leader chuckled as she made her move. "Alright then... Lillipup, use Shadow Ball!" Lenora called. Lillipup leapt in the air, shooting several Ghost Type attacks, which startled Takeru a little.

"Ngh... Repel them with ThunderPunch!" Takeru called. Riolu nodded as he sent all the Shadow Balls back with ThunderPunch, as Lenora narrowed her eyes. "Use Take Down!" Lenora called.

Right after the smoke passed, Lillipup charged, aiming to hit Riolu. It bashed the Emanation Pokémon away, knocking him towards the ground. "GAH! Ugh..." Riolu grunted as he fell to his knees.

"Stay strong, Riolu! Use Dig!" Takeru called. The Emanation Pokémon dug underground, preparing to make a surprise attack. "Keep an eye out, Lillipup! Use your senses!" Lenora called.

Lillipup struggled to move, due to the poison taking effect. He tried to sniff Riolu out, which he did. "Alright! Now, use Shadow Ball!" Lenora called. The Normal Type leapt in the air, shooting the Ghost Type attack.

"She spotted us! Use Blaze Kick to kick it back!" Takeru called. Out of the ground, Riolu kicked the Shadow Ball away, much to Lillipup's surprise. "This is your chance! Use Take Down!" Lenora called.

"Don't count on it! Riolu, Force Palm!" Takeru called. The two Pokémon slammed at each other with their attacks, creating a huge explosion. Everyone yelped as they covered themselves once again.

As for the two battlers, both Lenora and Takeru could only watch to see what has happened to their Pokémon. "Riolu!?" Takeru called. Everyone watched as they saw both Pokémon lying on the ground, unconscious.

"Lillipup! Get up! Get up!" Lenora called. "Riolu, I know you can still battle! Please, get up!" Takeru called. Both Pokémon responded as they both tried to get up and continue the match.

However, with the poison effect and the heavy damage it took, it was too much for Lillipup, as it fell on the ground, groaning. Everyone gasped as Hawes gestured to the Nuvema boy and Riolu.

"Lillipup is unable to battle! So, the winner is Riolu! Which means, that the victory goes to Takeru, of Nuvema Town!" Hawes declared. "Yes! That's how a battle must be done!" Takeru chuckled.

**Winner: Takeru**

He gave a peace sign to the Gym Leader as Riolu ran over to his human brother. _"Hah... hah... Big brother... I... I did it! We won!"_ Riolu barked weakly as he leapt into his arms.

"We sure did, Riolu... Thanks to you and Tepig..." Takeru chuckled, rubbing his Fighting Type's head. "Alright!" Ash and Iris cheered, seeing that their friend had won his Gym match.

"A perfect victory! A splendid piece of recipe!" Cilan commented, as he smiled, also happy that his old friend had won. The Nacrene Gym Leader returned Lillipup with a sigh, thanking it for its hard work.

She then glanced at the Nuvema boy with a smile on her face. "Well, I'll be... To think that I had to not beat one of Takeru's Pokémon... Amazing..." Lenora chuckled to herself.

**That evening...**

Everyone was outside at the entrance of the Museum, where Lenora gave her Gym Badge to Takeru. "Takeru, I'd like to thank you for an amazing battle. It has been a while since I've been pushed back into a corner." Lenora admitted.

"I'm a bit surprised of how you pushed Riolu into like this too, Lenora. I'd like to thank you too for an amazing battle." Takeru thanked. Hawes chuckled nervously, admitting that he didn't see these kinds of results coming.

Lenora then showed the Nuvema boy her Badge. "Now then... As proof for your victory at the Nacrene Gym, I'd like to give you... this Basic Badge!" Lenora replied, handing the badge to Takeru.

The Nuvema boy took it with thanks as Tepig and Riolu watched too, in amazement. "Great!... Look! It's my second Unova region Gym Badge! The Basic Badge!" Takeru called, showing his badge in the air.

Tepig and Riolu cheered along for their victory as Iris gave Ash a reminder. "It looks like you're gonna have to catch up to Takeru real soon, Ash!" Iris teased, leaving Ash to sigh.

"You don't have to tell me twice, Iris..." Ash reminded, before rubbing the back of his head nervously. "Pika..." Pikachu agreed. The Gym Leader then turned to Ash, with a smile on her face.

"And Ash? Like I said before, I'll be looking forward for a rematch whenever you want! I'll be waiting for you at this Gym if you come back!" Lenora assured. "Yeah... I hear ya, Lenora." Ash agreed.

And so, once they said their good nights to Lenora, the group headed straight back to the Pokémon Center, where Ash's Tepig, Oshawott, and Takeru's Riolu were to recover. The Kanto trainer was obviously bummed out for his loss.

"Mm... *sigh*" Ash sighed as he slumped down. He held his Pokémon Egg close to him, as Iris frowned. "Ash, this isn't like you... Getting sad and depressed like this..." Iris reminded.

"How can I not be depressed? Everything that happened in the battle totally went wrong..." Ash groaned. "Pika..." Pikachu sighed, feeling sorry for his Kanto trainer as Cilan thought it over.

"Leading off with Roar was quite painful..." Cilan reminded. "Yeah... And then she followed it up with Mean Look, which stopped Oshawott... From that point, the battle didn't go the way I planned it... Nothing did!" Ash groaned.

"You were forced to switch out a Pokémon, which would've thrown off anybody when the battle starts..." Iris assured. "That's true... But, I didn't... I mean, it's thanks to seeing the battle with Ash, it made my battle a lot more easier..." Takeru reminded.

"Well... There's much to be learned from this... You would do well to become more like Lenora, so you might be able to deal with any kind of battle that might come up!" Cilan replied.

"Yeah... I guess you're right..." Ash agreed. "Not only that... Ash, I'd think it'd best if you train your Pokémon, like Tepig and Oshawott when they recover. Their speed, power, and endurance." Takeru added.

"That's right! Tepig and Oshawott can't keep up as things they are right now." Cilan agreed. "Yeah! And you need to stay on your feet and think faster!" Iris added. "Pika Pika!" "Axew ew ew!" Pikachu and Axew agreed along.

"Mm... AHHH! I know that already! I'm not done by a long shot! See... Now that I got to know a lot about Lenora's battling style, I won't let my defeat count for nothing!" Ash assured.

"Now that's more like it... The determined and confident Ash that we know..." Takeru chuckled, leaving Ash blinking. He recalled that someone had called him that when he snapped out of his depression.

"Hey, Takeru?" Ash asked. The Nuvema boy blinked, seeing the Kanto trainer looking at him. "You kind of remind me of Hikaru, who used to cheer me up a lot of times back when I was traveling in Sinnoh." Ash explained.

"Oh... You mean that trainer we saw on the Sinnoh News back at Striaton City?" Cilan asked, recalling of the name. "Yeah..." Ash answered. Before Iris could ask who Hikaru was, the Center rang a bell.

Everyone turned their attention to see Nurse Joy and Audino come by with Riolu, Tepig and Oshawott. "Sorry to keep you waiting. Your Pokémon are feeling much better now!" Nurse Joy explained.

"Thanks a lot, Nurse Joy!" Ash thanked. "Thanks for the help, Nurse Joy." Takeru thanked along. Riolu jumped down, climbing onto Takeru's shoulder with a slight grin of his.

As for Tepig and Oshawott, they were both determined to gain their victory for their rematch at the Nacrene Gym. "Both Tepig and Oshawott look as determined as I've ever seen them!" Iris commented.

"Now, that's not easy, I know! Alright... We're gonna do some serious training and then challenge Lenora one more time!" Ash declared. Pikachu, Tepig, and Oshawott all cheered along as Nurse Joy giggled.

"If you want to do some real training, then why don't you visit the Pokémon Battle Club?" Nurse Joy suggested. "The Pokémon Battle Club?" Ash repeated in question. Takeru smiled, agreeing with the idea.

"Of course... The Battle Club in this city is for trainers who want to train for the Nacrene Gym!" Takeru recalled as he snapped his fingers. "Right! Don George is always available for good battling advice!" Cilan agreed.

"Osha Osha Oshawott!" "Tep Tepig!" Oshawott and Tepig exclaimed, both determined to get some training done. "I'll also bet you that Don George just might be and willing to give you tips on how to beat Lenora!" Nurse Joy assured.

She gave a wink and a smile. "Audino..." Audino agreed with a cooing smile.

**The next morning...**

And so, the four trainers all headed to the Nacrene City Battle Club, where they met up with the Don George, who was happy to see his pupil back again. "Hey, hey! If it isn't Takeru and Riolu! How's it going with the two of you?" Don George chuckled.

_"It's going fine, Don George. Our journey is progressing well."_ Takeru assured. "It's nice to see you again too, Don George!" Riolu barked happily with a nod. "Ha... You really do look like the other Don Georges do!" Ash chuckled nervously.

"Mm... So, what kind of battle can I help you with?" Don George asked. "Well, yesterday... both Takeru and I had challenged Lenora to a Gym battle back at the Nacrene Gym and..." Ash started.

He continued on until he was completely done with the details. The Battle Club manager nodded in understanding as he thought it over. Trainers have come to the Battle Club to train to challenge Lenora for a battle.

"I understand... So, you were roundly defeated by all of Lenora's tricks! Lillipup's Roar... and Watchog's Mean Look! It still tends to that she is using them both!" Don George recalled.

"Yeah... You're right! And I wasn't able to keep up with the speed of her Pokémon! They were fast!" Ash explained. "Right... Fast they are..." Don George agreed, thinking it over.

"So, everyone must've seen her combination!" Iris pointed out. "Everyone seems to be taken in by Lenora's quick pace! But, I'll bet you if you could match her speed, then I think she could be roundly defeated!" Cilan pointed out.

"I do know what you're exactly looking for... So... GET READY! You've come to the right place for some hard training!" Don George assured, with the fire burning in his eyes. Ash grew pumped up, excited for what's coming.

"Awesome! I'll do whatever it takes!" Ash assured. "Pika Pikachu!" Pikachu agreed. The Battle Club manager nodded as he stepped up in front of a giant door.

"Very well... But, be warned, Ash! My brand of special training is not for the fate of heart, get it!?" Don George warned. "Yeah!" Ash agreed. Takeru, Iris, and Cilan all nodded along as Don George nodded back.

"Right then! Alright, follow me through these doors then!" Don George called. As he said so, the giant doors began to open, with light coming out of it. Ash narrowed his eyes, preparing himself for some training.

To be continued...

**Takeru's Team:**

**Riolu: (M): (Force Palm, Blaze Kick, ThunderPunch, Dig)**

**Joltik: (M): (Electro Ball, Signal Beam, String Shot, Electroweb)**

**Tranquill: (M): (Air Cutter, Gust, Aerial Ace, Roost)**

**Tepig: (M): (Flamethrower, Smog, Flame Charge, Rollout)**

**Egg: (N/A): This Egg has moved a few times, so it's close to hatching soon.**

Next chapters:

**Chapter 31: Ash VS Takeru! Ash's Training!**

**Chapter 32: Ash VS Lenora! A Second Chance!**

**Chapter 33: Scraggy and Zorua! Two Mischiefs!?**

**Chapter 34: Go Scraggy and Zorua!? Double Trouble!**

**Chapter 35: The Sewaddle Gets Us Lost!**

**Next chapter preview:**

Ash: Okay... So, in order to counter all of Lenora's incoming attacks... We've got to work hard! Oshawott, Tepig! Let's do it!

Don George: Now, that's the kind of spirit I'd like to hear! But first, what do you say that you have a battle with our top trainer here?

Takeru: Don George, you can't possibly mean for me to train Ash with a Pokémon battle, do you? I mean, I have nothing to do with Lenora's strategies...

Ash: Well, this might help me win against Lenora since you beat her when you first challenged her! Come on, Takeru! Let's battle!

Iris: So those two are gonna battle? Why am I starting to think that this will be a very close battle?

Cilan: My guess is, it's because that these two are very determined trainers, Iris. There's nothing more than that!


	31. Ash VS Takeru! Ash's Training!

**Chapter 31: Ash VS Takeru! Ash's Training!**

Last time, on Pokémon Unova Journey, after the Gym battle yesterday with Ash's loss and Takeru's win, Don George invited Ash to try out the Battle Club training program, the training method that Takeru tried out.

Now, Ash is more determined to train and to win his rematch at the Nacrene Gym for his second Unova Gym Badge! How will the results of his training go?

"Wow!" Ash exclaimed in amazement. Iris and Cilan were also amazed as they looked around to see the large training room. Takeru and Riolu smiled together, recalling of their training times here.

"You are now standing at the Pokémon Battle Club's Training Room! You may train here to your heart's contents!" Don George declared, gesturing to the equipment in the room. Ash was amazed as he looked at all the equipment around the room.

"Great! Thanks a lot, Don George!" Ash thanked. The Battle Club manager nodded as he turned to the treadmill behind him. "Let's start by using Tepig. Tepig will be using that machine!" Don George declared.

The Kanto trainer blinked, before he took out Tepig's Pokéball, summoning him. "Alright then! Tepig, let's go!" Ash called. The Fire Pig Pokémon appeared, ready to train hard for his rematch battle.

"Tepig!" Tepig cried out happily. Don George smirked, folding his arms as he explained. "First off, the key to defeating the Gym Leader Lenora, is all about raising your Pokémon's speed and powering up their moves!" Don George explained.

"So, Tepig! Are you ready to train some hard?" Ash asked. "Tepig!" The Fire Type exclaimed, burning up in determination. Then, all of a sudden, Takeru gently gave Ash a push to the treadmill.

"That includes you too, Ash." Takeru called. Ash yelped as he staggered over to the treadmill, before turning to his Nuvema boy friend in surprise. "H-Huh? Why me, Takeru?" Ash asked.

The Nuvema boy smiled, before answering. "Remember when you first battled Lenora, you were easily caught off guard and panicked? You can't be that way in a Gym battle against her. You have to be calm and confident to yourself." Takeru explained.

The Kanto trainer blinked as the manager stepped up. "That's right! Our Takeru and his little Riolu here trained hard in here to win many battles! If he could do it, then I'm sure that you can do it too, Ash!" Don George assured.

The Nuvema boy and his Emanation Pokémon nodded as Takeru offered a hand. "So, Ash! Are you up for it? Or are you going to stay stiff as a frozen ice statue?" Takeru asked, causing Ash to grin.

"Oh, I'm up for it! I'm ready!" Ash answered. He shook Takeru's hand as the two boys nodded to each other. "Then, it's settled. Let's get started!" Takeru called. "Right!" "Pika!" "Tepig!" The three agreed.

**(Pokémon: BW Best Wishes Opening: Be An Arrow! (English Subbed))**

(Ash, Takeru, Cilan, and Iris are running with Pikachu, Riolu, Pansage, and Axew, with colorful arrows flying above them as they ran to a light!)

**_One swiftly running arrow!_**

(A blue pillar and orange pillar appears, showing Ash and Pikachu, with Takeru and Riolu)

_**One supple arrow!**_

(A purple pillar appears, showing Iris and Axew)

_**One thinking arrow!**_

(A yellow green pillar appears, showing Cilan)

_**That's us now!**_

(Ash, Takeru, Cilan, and Iris stand together as they move towards the air together)

**_Cross the green mountain, remove the white clouds_**

(The Japanese opening appears)

_**Let's colorfully push through the wilderness, become an arrow!**_

(A group of wild Pokémon from the five regions run or fly along)

_**Even if we suddenly turn around, twist, and shake**_

(Ash, Cilan, Takeru, and Iris are running alongside with the Water Type Pokémon on the sea)

(Meloetta suddenly appears, snatching Ash's hat from his head)

_**There's no way that we'll get separated!**_

(In Prof. Oak's laboratory, all of Ash's Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh were there; Charizard gives a thumbs up to the screen)

_**Sometimes I can no longer see the road, and don't know where to go**_

(Ash and Takeru were stopped by giant pillars, blocking their way)

_**But you will always be by my side!**_

(Pikachu and Riolu appears, with Pikachu using Thunderbolt, while Riolu uses Aura Sphere)

(Both trainers and Pokémon smile happily at each other)

_**Even the bright sun is hidden by the clouds sometimes**_

(Keldeo, Cobalion, Virizion, and Terrakion stands together on top of an ice)

(Kyurem appears, turning into either Black or White Kyurem)

_**But meetings will always bring light!**_

(Cynthia and Alder smile at the four trainers standing at the bottom)

(Hikaru and Dawn comes by, with Infernape using Flamethrower, as Piplup uses Hydro Pump)

(Jessie, James, and Meowth let out evil smirks)

_**One too hot arrow!**_

(Stephan and Sawk pose together, standing together)

_**Two competitive arrows!**_

(Trip and Servine appears together after the dust clears)

_**Three helpful arrows!**_

(Bianca comes by with Pignite, as the two fall together)

_**So the heart will never break!**_

(Trip, Dawn, Hikaru, Iris, Ash, Takeru, Cilan, Bianca, and Stephan stand together with their Pokémon partners)

_**Aim forward as an arrow!**_

(Everyone shoots in the air, towards the sky)

_**Shine greater than even now as an arrow!**_  
_**Thrust toward your dream!**_

(Everyone combines together, creating a huge arrow, shooting towards the building)

(Takeru, Ash, Cilan, and Iris all stand together with all of their current Pokémon)

(Ash: Pikachu, Oshawott, Snivy, Tepig, Pidove, Scraggy)  
(Takeru: Riolu, Tranquill, Tepig, Joltik, Zorua, Petilil)  
(Iris: Axew and Excadrill)  
(Cilan: Pansage and Dwebble)

**(Opening ends)**

Takeru changed into his Battle Club clothes as he watched Ash and Tepig run on the treadmill with Iris and Cilan. The speed increased as the two went faster. "Alright! Way to go, Tepig!" Ash cried.

Don George took control of the treadmill, warning Ash. "Alright... I'm increasing the speed!" Don George called. Ash glanced at the battle manager and nodded with a grin. "Right! Man, this training is a piece of cake!" Ash smirked.

He continued running as the Nuvema boy frowned. "You haven't seen the best of it, Ash. This is only 5% of it." Takeru reminded. Both Ash and Tepig glanced at the Nuvema boy in surprise.

"Wait, what!?" "Tep!?" Ash and Tepig gasped. Riolu nodded along, reminding the Fire Type. _"There's these obstacles you have to block and counter, too!"_ Riolu explained, causing Tepig to be ready.

Axew cheered as he tried to get onto the treadmill as well. Riolu blinked as he stepped in front of the Dragon Type. _"Hey! Stop right there!"_ Riolu barked in warning, startling Axew.

"Ax!?" Axew gasped, before he glared at the Fighting Type, who growled. "Stop, Axew. Remember, that treadmill is not a toy!" Iris reminded. She held her Dragon Type, who pouted at this.

"Ax..." Axew sighed, causing the Emanation Pokémon to snicker, while Takeru only smiled. Don George then cleared his throat, reminding Ash. "Alright... That's enough warm-up. Moving onto the next step!" Don George called.

He pressed on the buttons, revealing two small cannons, startling both Ash and Tepig. Takeru frowned, being serious as he explained. "Like I said, you only took 5% of this phase. Now the difficult part begins." Takeru said.

"Right you said, Takeru! The real training begins now! I want you to dodge or counter of what you imagine is a Shadow Ball!" Don George called. He clicked on a button, launching dark balls.

Tepig glared at it, preparing to counter it. He dodged one, much to Ash's amazement. "Hey, you're doing great, Tepig- WHA!" Ash started, then yelped. A dark ball hit him on the face, knocking him down.

Takeru blinked in shock as Riolu groaned. Iris, Cilan, and Don George could only watch in surprise as Ash fell. "Ash, no!" Iris and Cilan called, running over. "Pika Pi!" Pikachu cried.

The three ran to the groaning Kanto trainer as he got up. "Ash! You okay?" Takeru asked. He offered a hand to Ash, who took it, allowing the Nuvema boy to help him up. "Ugh..." Ash groaned.

Iris snickered at Ash's immediate fail. "C'mon, Ash! You couldn't dodge that? You're such a-" Iris started, only for Takeru to glare at her in a dirty way, causing her to stop abruptly.

"Uh... Never mind." Iris gulped, as Axew sighed. "Hey, I was caught off guard! Can we do that again?" Ash asked. At the persistence, the Battle Club manager and his top pupil smirked together.

"Yeah, that's the spirit!" Don George chuckled. The Nuvema boy nodded as the training continued. This time, both Ash and Tepig were prepared as they ran onto the treadmill once again.

"Alright! Let's start this again! Remember, Lenora's Shadow Ball aren't gonna be easy to deal with!" Don George called. He activated the "Shadow Ball Training" again, shooting more dark balls.

The fake Shadow Balls were thrown, causing both Ash and Tepig to dodge at an impressive rate. "Wow... They're getting the hang of it!" Iris complimented. "That's excellent, Ash!" Cilan complimented.

Takeru and Riolu nodded along, while Don George got ready to make some more. "I'm raising the speed. Stay on your toes! Now, prepare for some Shadow Balls from behind!" Don George called.

Two more small cannons appeared, right behind the two trainees. Three balls were shot as Ash made the order. "Alright! Counter them with Ember!" Ash yelled. Tepig nodded and shot the Fire Type attack at a ball.

But the ball quickly went past Ember like it was nothing! The balls slammed into the two, causing them to yell in pain. "AHH!" "TEP!" The two yelled as they fell to the ground once again.

"Ash!" "Are you alright?" Iris and Takeru called. The Kanto trainer groaned as he rose his head up again. "Ugh... Man, we need more power." Ash groaned. Takeru smiled, offering his hand again.

"Keep it up, you two. You WILL get the hang of it, the more progress you make." Takeru assured. Ash grinned at that, before taking Takeru's hand again. "Right! Thanks, Takeru!" Ash thanked.

So, at the third attempt, both Ash and Tepig managed to get the hang of it, dodging and countering all the incoming dark balls. While doing that, they increased their running speed, while increasing Tepig's fire power.

A few minutes later, the first training ended, much to their relief. Both the trainer and the Fire Type panted for the heavy training they took currently. "You know, Ash. I think you were much faster than when you first started!" Iris commented.

"It's true... But, you'll need more depth than sharpness in order to defeat Lenora!" Cilan reminded. Takeru handed Ash a small cloth to wipe the sweat off of him, which the Kanto trainer accepted.

"How do you feel right now?" Takeru asked. _"Do you two feel any stronger?"_ Riolu barked in a questioning tone. "I'm feeling great! I feel like I could run much faster than before!" Ash exclaimed.

"Tep Tepig!" Tepig exclaimed with determination. Don George walked over, giving Ash a reminder. "Alright. That's enough for now. It's a good time to give Tepig some rest. It's also a good time to get some training with Oshawott!" Don George explained.

The Kanto trainer nodded with a grin. "Right!" Ash agreed. Takeru cleared his throat, before making his request. "Don George, do you mind if Riolu and I could get involved in this?" Takeru asked.

The Battle Club manager blinked, before asking. "Uh, sure. But why?" Don George asked. "Riolu's water battling skills need to sharpen up a little. We're both willing to train hard as well for the unexpected." Takeru explained.

_"Right! I have to become stronger than at this point!"_ Riolu exclaimed in determination. Suddenly, Don George laughed, much to the grouo's surprise. "Ah ha ha! Of course you two can! You two are my best pupils here!" Don George laughed.

The Nuvema boy smiled, nodding in thanks. "Does that mean you're going to be training with me and Oshawott, Takeru?" Ash asked. "What else? Of course I'm training with you!" Takeru smirked.

"Alright! The more, the merrier!" Ash exclaimed, causing the Nuvema boy to blink in surprise. Riolu only smirked as he punched the air. Iris and Cilan could only watch the two's friendship grow.

"Is it just me, or are they acting like brothers, with Takeru the older one?" Iris asked, sweat dropping. "I think you're overreacting a little to this. Their friendship is like a new recipe developing!" Cilan assured.

**Later...**

Ash and Takeru both changed into their swim trunks (Ash's is purple trunks with red lines near the legs and yellow lines on the side, Takeru's is black trunks with blue lines near the legs).

As they changed, Don George led the two to the Water Training Field. The room had a large waterfall at one side, with a target at another side. In the middle of the pool was a platform near the falls.

Ash grew amazed while Takeru smiled, familiar with this. "Wow..." Ash said in awe. He took out Oshawott's Pokéball, summoning the Sea Otter Pokémon. "Alright, Oshawott! It's your turn!" Ash called.

As the Water Type came out, it immediately jumped into the water, swimming around happily. Ash was surprised at this, while Takeru and Riolu both chuckled nervously at this.

"Huh?... Oshawott! What are you doing? Chill out! Save it! We didn't come here to play, you know!" Ash called. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu cried out. _"This is not for playing, it's training in water!"_ Riolu scolded.

Oshawott seemed to at first ignore their call, before he gave a sigh. "That's right. You all came here in order to train!" Don George called. Ash dove into the water, with Takeru and Riolu following together.

They all floated around the water, prepared for some water training. "Huh... Brace yourself, Ash. This isn't something to be expected easy." Takeru warned as Ash grinned in determination.

"Hey, no need to worry! We can take any training methods that are thrown at us! Right, Oshawott?" Ash asked. "Osha, Oshawott." Oshawott agreed with a nod as Riolu smirked.

Don George walked over to the controls, as Pikachu followed. The battle manager made the controls of the water currents to see how the training would go.

"I'm creating a current in the pool! Swimming against the current will help your muscles while increasing your stamina at the same time! Get it?" Don George explained, as the two boys smiled.

"Alright!" "Understood!" The two boys agreed. Oshawott and Riolu nodded along, as they prepared for the incoming current.

**Meanwhile...**

"Sorry for the wait, you two!" Iris called. For Iris, she was at the cafeteria at the Battle Club with Cilan and Tepig. Cilan had created some Pokémon food for Ash's Tepig and Takeru's Tepig to eat.

The Connoisseur placed the bowls for the two Fire Types to eat. "Eat up! For you, you had quite a battle against Lenora! And as for you, you had quite a workout! There's more if you would like!" Cilan assured.

The two Fire Types said their thanks as they began to eat their bowls. Iris blinked, before looking around. "Huh? Where did Axew go?" Iris asked. Cilan looked up in surprise to see that the Dragon Type was gone, too.

"Axew was here just a minute ago..." Iris explained as Cilan frowned. "You don't think Axew might've..." Cilan started, causing the girl to widen her eyes. "Oh no, Axew!" Iris gasped.

She and Cilan ran out of the cafeteria, leaving the two Fire Type surprised as they finished the food in one gulp, before following the two trainers.

**Back to Ash and Takeru...**

Takeru and Riolu swam ahead of Ash and Oshawott with Riolu managing to get his stamina increase with his swimming skills. _"Huff... Huff... I can do this!"_ Riolu barked as he swam hard as he could.

The currents were making it hard for both Pokémon to swim, but the two kept on going. "Great! Keep it up, Riolu!" Takeru complimented. _"Huff... Huff..."_ Riolu panted as he swam harder, along with his human brother.

As for Ash, Oshawott was also swimming against the weak currents as he pushed himself hard. "Keep it up, Oshawott!" Ash called. "Oshawott... Osha!" Oshawott grunted as he kept swimming.

Don George and Pikachu followed the two boys and their swimming Pokémon to see how they're progressing. "Oshawott and Riolu, both of you, swim with everything that you've got!" Don George called.

"Pika Pika!" Pikachu called. The manager turned to Oshawott with a reminder. "Remember, you need to keep this up or you won't be able to keep up with Lenora, Oshawott!" Don George reminded.

"Wott!" Oshawott exclaimed in determination. He pushed up even harder, swimming as fast as he can. Riolu did the same, although he started to get it a bit more, pushing through the currents easily.

But, as the two boys and their Pokémon were swimming, a giant wave shadowed over the two! "Huh!?" "What in the world!?" Ash and Takeru gasped. Don George, Pikachu, Riolu, and Oshawott all gasped along.

The giant wave splashed down on the two boys and their Pokémon, causing them to yell out in surprise as they were dragged away by the heavy currents. "What in the world!?" Don George exclaimed.

Pikachu looked around, before blinking to see who the culprit was. "Pika!?" Pikachu pointed out. The manager turned to see that it was Axew making the waves! Axew seemed to be enjoying pressing the buttons as he happily pressed a few.

The Electric Type quickly ran over, trying to stop the little Dragon Type. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu snapped, scolding the Tusk Pokémon. Axew only grinned happily, oblivious of the reason for Pikachu's scolding.

At the same time, the doors on the other side of the pool opened, revealing Iris and Cilan, along with the two Tepigs! "Huh? Axew! There you are!" Iris called. She and Cilan ran over with the two Fire Types to catch Axew.

Once the situation was settled, the waves became calmer, as Riolu and Oshawott groaned together. The Kanto trainer held onto his Water Type, while the Nuvema boy held onto his Fighting Type.

"I gotcha! You're safe now, Oshawott!" Ash called. "Osha..." Oshawott sighed, relieved that all the waves crashing were over. "You okay, Riolu?" Takeru asked. The Emanation Pokémon coughed out water, groaning.

_"Ugh... Big brother... I feel so... dizzy now."_ Riolu groaned. Takeru smiled sadly as he hugged his Fighting Type, before swimming out of the water. He and his Fighting Type sat on the edges of the pool, with Riolu panting.

Takeru rubbed the Fighting Type's back, soothing his feelings. "There, there... It's over now, Riolu." Takeru whispered. The soothing words left Riolu sighing, while growling in content.

"GO!" Ash yelled. The Nuvema boy brought up his attention to see Oshawott speeding up towards the falls with Ash's push. "AH! Slide down the waterfall, Oshawott!" Don George yelled.

The Sea Otter Pokémon shut his eyes tight, sliding down the waterfall as water began to suddenly surround, as if Oshawott was using a new move! The group grew surprised, along with their Pokémon.

Don George noticed it as well as he pointed to one of the targets. "Now, Oshawott! Aim for this target!" Don George yelled. At that, the Water Type was aiming perfectly, but the aim went a little down, causing it to miss.

Nevertheless, once the move was finished, Iris and Cilan ran over, amazed with the attack. "Amazing! Did Oshawott just use Aqua Jet!?" Iris exclaimed. Cilan smiled sheepishly and shrugged.

"Yeah, but it had the little flavor of being unsteady." Cilan answered. Takeru smiled as he got up, along with the recovered Riolu. "That doesn't matter. What's most important that Oshawott is making great progress!" Takeru reminded.

_"That's amazing..."_ Riolu replied in awe. Ash grew excited as he cheered for the new move. "Alright! Oshawott had just learned Aqua Jet- Ah!" Ash yelped. He started to jump up, but accidentally slipped.

He fell back into the pool water, startling the others. "Ash!?" Iris called. "Pika!" "Osha!" Pikachu and Oshawott called out along. The Water Type dove back into the water, trying to check his trainer.

"You alright?" Don George asked. Ash nodded and grinned. "Yeah... I can't believe that you learned that move, though! Great job, Oshawott!" Ash praised. "Osha!" Oshawott boasted, leaving everyone else to laugh along.

**That night...**

Ash and Tepig were back in training on raising their speed, which seemed to have improved a lot. "Put everything you've got to the limit! Faster, faster!" Don George called, as he raised the speed to maximum.

The two ran faster, increasing their speed rate as they dodged the dark balls at the same time. "Nice! Keep it up, you two!" Takeru complimented. At that, Tepig blew away the balls with Ember, with more power.

Cilan noticed it and smiled. "Great! They're showing solid results, since Tepig's much faster now, and its Ember attack is starting to show real power!" Cilan commented. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu cheered.

_"Go beyond, Tepig!"_ Riolu barked in encouragement. "We're gonna beat Lenora sure! What do you say, Tepig?" Ash asked. "Tepig!" Tepig exclaimed. He and his trainer began to move much faster now.

The two yelled their spirits out as they ran faster than the treadmill could give them! Suddenly, Tepig started to glow, causing fire to surround his body. Everyone turned their attention to the Fire Type in surprise.

Takeru widened his eyes at seeing the new move. "That's... Flame Charge?" Takeru whispered in surprise. Cilan and Iris were shocked to see the new move as Ash grew pumped up with a grin.

"Alright! Tepig! You learned how to use Flame Charge!" Ash exclaimed. "Tepig!" Tepig exclaimed in cheer as he ran faster, creating more power and speed around him. The training continued on, until both Ash and Tepig were worn out.

The two were panting once again as Don George chuckled, stepping up to the two. "Now, that's more like it! I can tell that you and your Pokémon have improved! Especially when those two have learned their new moves!" Don George complimented.

Ash panted, before giving a small grin. "Great... Thanks, Don George!" Ash thanked, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "Tepig!" Tepig exclaimed. Takeru, Cilan, and Iris all walked over, smiling at their Kanto friend.

"It looks to me like your battle with Lenora should be like a hot spicy battle for tomorrow, Ash! With new moves and improvements, you should be able to counter her strategies now!" Cilan assured.

Ash nodded again, with a smile. "Thanks, Cilan... But, it feels like I'm still missing something..." Ash stated. "Missing? Missing what?" Iris asked. "Ax?" Axew asked along, confused.

Ash stood up as Pikachu and Tepig watched him. "I feel like, there's missing something... And that's to truly test my power before my rematch against Lenora!" Ash answered, causing Iris and Cilan to blink in surprise.

"Test your power? Are you sure, Ash?" Iris asked. The Battle Club manager chuckled at that, folding his arms. "Now that is what I'd like to hear! It seems to me like you want to have a practice battle before your rematch against Lenora, correct?" Don George asked.

"Right! And it has to be someone who had beaten Lenora... Right, Takeru?" Ash asked, turning to face his Nuvema friend. The attention turned to the Nuvema boy and his Fighting Type as Takeru blinked.

He then let out a chuckle and a small smile. "I see... So, since I had defeated Lenora, you want me to see how strong you are now, and to see how much chance you would have to beat Lenora, huh?" Takeru asked.

"What else would I say? I need to be extra prepared, in case her battle combination shows up again!" Ash reminded. "Pika Pika!" "Tepig!" Pikachu and Tepig cried out their agreements.

For a moment, the Nuvema boy gave a thought, before smiling. "Alright then, Ash. I accept your challenge. Don George, do you mind if we use the battlefield?" Takeru asked.

"Of course I don't mind! Anything to help out my top pupil and a tough-spirited trainer like Ash!" Don George chuckled. Cilan chuckled as Iris blinked at this. "Are they really going to battle? I mean, I don't think I've seen them battle before..." Iris admitted.

"Neither have I! It'll be like a spirit versus spirit battle! A delicious, yet spicy battle aroma coming up!" Cilan commented. The girl sweat dropped at that comment, before she and Cilan followed the two boys to the battlefield.

**Later...**

Soon, Takeru and Ash were facing against each other, as they decided to make it a three on three battle. Riolu and Pikachu stood besides their trainers, in case they're needed to battle.

Iris, Cilan, and Axew stood by the sidelines, watching the start of their friends' battle. Don George cleared his throat as he stood at the referee's box. At the same time, the battle scoreboard appeared.

Ash and Takeru's faces were printed on the screen, with three Pokéball signs, showing their three Pokémon ready.

"And now! The battle between Takeru and Ash are about to begin! Each side will use three Pokémon each, and the battle will be over when either side is unable to battle! Further, both sides are able to substitute their Pokémon!" Don George announced.

Ash grinned, but at the same time was nervous. _"This is it... This battle will be able to tell me whether I'm able to beat Lenora or not... But, Takeru was able to beat Trip AND Lenora when I couldn't for the first time! Could I really beat him?"_ Ash thought.

Takeru smiled, as he thought it over. _"Ash must be really serious to challenge me like this... So, if it's a tough battle he wants for his Gym battle, then I'll give him a battle that he'll never forget!"_ Takeru thought.

"Alright! Oshawott! I choose you!" Ash called, summoning the Sea Otter Pokémon. Oshawott appeared, yawning before he faced his opponent. "Hmph. I need your help, Tepig!" Takeru called.

The Fire Pig Pokémon appeared, ready to fight. The choice left both Ash and Oshawott surprised. "Huh? Tepig? But why?" Ash asked. Even Cilan and Iris seemed surprised with Takeru's choice.

"Hold on... Takeru knows that a Fire Type has a disadvantage against a Water Type like Oshawott, right? So, why did he chose Tepig?" Iris asked. Cilan frowned as he thought it over.

"Perhaps he's planning to test Ash's willpower by putting himself in a disadvantage?" Cilan guessed. For the Nuvema boy, he made no words, as Riolu stayed silent, knowing that his human brother was doing the right thing.

Ash blinked, before he shook his head. "No problem! This should be an easy round, right, Oshawott?" Ash asked. "Osha! Oshawott!" Oshawott exclaimed, tapping his scalchop with proudness.

Looking at both sides, the manager began the battle with his call. "Alright then... Let the battle begin!" Don George yelled.

**Takeru: Tepig + 2 VS Ash: Oshawott + 2**

"Alright, Oshawott! Use Water Gun!" Ash called. The Sea Otter Pokémon shot the Water Type attack at Tepig, who braced himself for it. "Dodge, then use Smog!" Takeru yelled.

Immediately, the Fire Type dodged the Water Gun, before he sent poisonous smoke around Oshawott, who grew bewildered. "Ah! Oh no, Oshawott!" Ash gasped. Iris grew amazed at that.

"Whoa! Tepig just dodged that Water Gun like it was nothing!" Iris exclaimed. "Using speed to evade type advantage attacks... That's pretty amazing..." Cilan admitted. Takeru smirked at that, as Ash grew more determined.

"No problem! Oshawott, use Razor Shell to blow away the Smog!" Ash yelled. Oshawott took his scalchop, and spun around, causing Smog to be negated. As the Smog was gone, Tepig was nowhere to be seen.

"Huh? Where did Tepig go?" Ash asked. "Above you, of course!" Takeru smirked. Both Ash and his Sea Otter Pokémon gasped as they saw the Fire Pig Pokémon smirking at them.

"Now! Use Flamethrower!" Takeru yelled. Fire shot onto Oshawott, who tried to resist it. "Osha... wott..." Oshawott grunted as he held on tight. "Stay strong, Oshawott! Use Water Gun, quick!" Ash called.

Oshawott managed to get away from Flamethrower, as he shot Water Gun at Tepig, who got ready again. "Not a chance! Tepig, use Rollout!" Takeru called. Once again, the Fire Type escaped from Water Gun, and began to roll towards his opponent.

"What the!? Use Aqua Jet, Oshawott!" Ash yelled. The Water Type took a deep breath, surrounding himself with water. He then charged towards Rollout, but then... The Aqua Jet was moved away.

Everyone blinked in surprise as the Aqua Jet attack was going out of control. "Whoa! What's going on with Oshawott?" Iris asked, bewildered. "I guess Oshawott still needs work to control on the Aqua Jet..." Cilan guessed.

He was proven right as Oshawott hit his head on the ground, due to the out of control attack Oshawott controlled. "Don't give up, Oshawott! Use Razor Shell, let's go!" Ash yelled.

Recovering from his own attack, the Water Type aimed his scalchop at Tepig, who was still in Rollout. "In that case, we'll go on and continue with Rollout!" Takeru yelled, allowing Tepig to charge ahead.

The two attacks collided together, causing both battlers to skid back to their trainers. "Oshawott, are you okay!?" Ash asked. "Osha! Oshawott!" Oshawott exclaimed with a nod.

"How about you, Tepig?" Takeru asked. "Tep!" Tepig replied, nodding to his trainer. Both boys stared at each other, grinning at their current battle strategies and attacks.

"Time to finish this up! Oshawott, use Razor Shell again!" Ash called. Once again, the scalchop was out, allowing the Sea Otter Pokémon to lash at the startled Tepig, hoping to defeat him.

"Not a chance! Tepig, counter with Flame Charge!" Takeru called. Once again, the two moves were collided... But this time, it was by both Razor Shell and the Flame Charge collision.

Everyone looked close to see who was the victor. As the dust cleared, both Pokémon were groaning on the ground, with swirls on their eyes. "Tepig!?" "Ah! Oh no, Oshawott!?" Takeru and Ash gasped together.

"Both Tepig and Oshawott are unable to battle!" Don George announced, declaring the first round a draw.

**Ash: 2 Pokémon**

**Takeru: 2 Pokémon**

As the two boys returned their Pokémon, Iris grew amazed at the current battle status. "I can't believe on how hard it took for Oshawott to beat Tepig, only that it seemed amazing between the two..." Iris admitted.

Ash smirked and took out his next Pokémon. "Up next... is you, Tepig!" Ash called. Ash's Tepig came out of its Pokéball, facing Takeru and Riolu. "Joltik, I need your help!" Takeru called.

The Attaching Pokémon let out an excited happy cry, which seemed that Joltik was ready for some action to go through. Ash frowned at the type disadvantage choice again.

"Joltik this time, huh... Just what are you up to, Takeru?" Ash asked, curious. The Nuvema boy gave a gentle smile as the battle continued. "Here goes! Tepig, use Tackle, let's go!" Ash yelled.

The Fire Type charged towards Joltik, who glared at his opponent. "Joltik, dodge! Then, use Electro Ball!" Takeru called. With high speed, Joltik evaded Tackle, then shot the electricity ball at Tepig.

Tepig squealed in pain as he took a direct hit, causing him to skid on the ground. "Hang in there, Tepig! And use Ember!" Ash yelled. Tepig shot the boosted Fire Type attack from his snout, heading towards Joltik.

"Counter with Signal Beam, Joltik!" Takeru yelled. Joltik braced himself as he shot his powerful Bug Type attack, which collided with the Ember attack. The two moves exploded against each other as both boys smirked.

"You're pretty good, Takeru!" Ash exclaimed. The Nuvema boy smiled back, shrugging. "I can say the same for you too, Ash... But, don't let your guard down yet! Because this battle isn't over! Joltik! Electro Ball!" Takeru yelled.

Once again, the Attaching Pokémon shot the attack towards Tepig, as the Fire Type grew ready this time. "Alright! Dodge, then use Flame Charge!" Ash yelled. Tepig dodged the Electro Ball in time, for him to use his new move.

He charged at Joltik who took a direct hit, causing him to skid back to his trainer. "Joltik! Are you okay?" Takeru asked. The Electric-Bug Type weakly nodded, before he glared back at his Fire Type opponent.

"Good, if that's the case, rapid-fire Electro Ball, go!" Takeru yelled. Joltik launched multiple attacks at Tepig, who yelped, forced to dodge most of the attacks. "Come on, Tepig! Keep dodging!" Ash yelled.

That was when the Nuvema boy smirked. "You can't dodge forever, you know! Use Signal Beam!" Takeru shouted. Right when Tepig was in the air again, Joltik launched his special attack at Tepig.

The Fire Pig Pokémon took a direct hit, as he tumbled onto the ground. "Ah! No, Tepig!" Ash exclaimed. The Fire Type once again got up, glaring at his Attaching Pokémon opponent.

The two looked as if they were smirking at each other, impressed with each other's persistence and abilities. "Time to wrap this up! Tepig, use Ember, let's go!" Ash shouted out.

"Joltik, counter with Electro Ball!" Takeru called. Ember and Electro Ball were launched at each other, as the two moves collided once again. Unfortunately, Joltik was a bit too close to the collision, causing him to be knocked away.

"What!?" Takeru gasped. "Now, use Tackle, go!" Ash called. Once the Fire Type recovered enough, he dashed forward, before he slammed into the Electric-Bug Type, knocking him down.

"No, Joltik!" Takeru called. The dust cleared, showing that Joltik was knocked out. "Joltik is unable to battle! Tepig wins!" Don George announced, gesturing to Ash and Tepig's side.

**Takeru: 1 Pokémon**

"Yeah! You did it, Tepig!" Ash cheered. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu cheered along. "Tepig!" Tepig exclaimed with a smirk as he blew fire out of his snout. Iris was amazed as she saw how the battle worked out.

"Whoa... Now Takeru is left with only one Pokémon... Will it be Tranquill or Riolu?" Iris asked. Takeru had returned his Attaching Pokémon back to its Pokéball, thanking it for the hard fight it put up.

Cilan folded his arms, making his guess. "I would have to say it's Riolu, since if Takeru defeated Tepig with Tranquill, then he'd know that Ash would send out Pikachu next." Cilan explained.

Ash turned to his Nuvema friend with a grin. "What do you think now, Takeru? Think we're ready to defeat Lenora?" Ash asked. The Nuvema boy closed his eyes, before smiling as he opened it.

"I would think so, yeah... With Tepig and Oshawott's boosted attack power and stamina, I would believe that there's no doubt you can beat her." Takeru guessed, leaving the Kanto trainer to be amazed.

"Whoa, really!?" Ash exclaimed. Takeru nodded, before he turned to Riolu. "But, before we get to that conclusion, you do realize I still have one Pokémon left! Riolu, are you ready?" Takeru asked.

Riolu took a deep breath, before nodding. _"I'm ready, brother!"_ Riolu barked out. He ran to the battlefield, facing Tepig in a battle. "So, it's Riolu now? This is gonna be great! Get ready, Tepig!" Ash called.

"Tepig!" Tepig replied, nodding in response. "Riolu, use Dig!" Takeru yelled. At the start, the Emanation Pokémon dug underground, causing the Fire Pig Pokémon to be confused of where his opponent would be.

"Where did he go...?" Ash asked, looking around. He then gave the Fire Type an order. "Tepig! Confuse Riolu while running with Flame Charge!" Ash yelled. Tepig nodded as he began to run.

Fire surrounded him as he made the move, going faster and faster. However, the Nuvema boy only gave a small sigh with a reminder. "It's futile. Even if a fast Pokémon like Tepig goes, Riolu will be able to track it down!" Takeru explained.

"What!?" "Tep!?" The two gasped. At their reaction, Riolu appeared from underground, punching Tepig on the stomach! The Fire Type gasped in pain as Flame Charge was interrupted.

He was slammed to the ground, struggling to get up. "Tepig! Come on, I know you can do it! Get up!" Ash called. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu encouraged along. But, due to the heavy damage Tepig took from Joltik and Riolu, it wasn't able to continue.

His fainting caused his trainer to gasp, seeing that he lost. "Tepig is unable to battle! Riolu wins!" Don George announced.

**Ash: 1 Pokémon**

"Tepig, thanks for your help. Take a good rest." Ash called, as he recalled the Fire Type back to its Pokéball. Ash looked up, giving a small grin as he turned to his Electric Type partner.

"Hey, Pikachu! Want to give it a shot?" Ash asked. "Pika!" Pikachu smirked. He ran to the battlefield, facing Riolu, his friend and rival. _"So, you're the last one? Well then, brace yourself for some attacks!"_ Riolu reminded.

"Pika..." Pikachu growled, feeling determined to win. For a few seconds, the battlefield was quiet as both boys stared at each other. Iris and Cilan could only watch with unease, wondering who of the two would win.

It was until Ash made the first move. "Here goes! Pikachu, use Iron Tail, let's go!" Ash yelled. Pikachu shot forward, aiming to land his Steel Type attack. "Grab it, Riolu!" Takeru yelled.

At the call, Riolu jumped up, grabbing Pikachu's tail, shocking the Electric Type by surprise. "Ah!?" Ash gasped. "Now, use Force Palm!" Takeru shouted. Riolu smirked as he placed his palm on the Electric Type's stomach.

The force exploded on Pikachu, causing him to skid on the ground. "Pikachu!?" Ash called. At his call, the Electric Type resisted the blow, as he glared back at his Fighting Type opponent.

"If Iron Tail won't work, then how about a Thunderbolt!?" Ash cried. The Electric Type let out a battle cry as he shot into the air, launching a Thunderbolt at Riolu, who braced himself.

"Block it with ThunderPunch!" Takeru called. Riolu narrowed his eyes as his two fists sparkled with electricity as he repelled it with his two ThunderPunch fists. "No way!" Ash gasped.

Cilan and Iris gasped at that, seeing how perfectly Thunderbolt was blocked. "Whoa! Did I just see Riolu blocking Thunderbolt!?" Iris gasped. Cilan widened his eyes and thought it over.

"It looks like Riolu is able to block Electric Type attacks with ThunderPunch, by absorbing it with his fists..." Cilan replied. "We're not done yet! Quick Attack, let's go!" Ash yelled.

Regaining his composure, Pikachu shot forward with his speed attack, as Takeru countered it again. "Use ThunderPunch!" Takeru yelled. Ash widened his eyes, recalling this phase as he smirked.

"Block ThunderPunch with Iron Tail, Pikachu!" Ash yelled. With Quick Attack's help, Pikachu was able to block ThunderPunch in time with Iron Tail, startling the Emanation Pokémon.

_"Whoa! What in the world!?"_ Riolu gasped in surprise. Pikachu let out a smirk as the Kanto trainer called his attack. "Now! Use Iron Tail again!" Ash yelled. The Steel Type attack negated ThunderPunch, as he slammed his tail to Riolu.

The Emanation Pokémon gritted his teeth, as he resisted the uncalled attack strategy. "Whoa... I didn't see that coming..." Takeru admitted. "That was actually good! Amazing!" Iris exclaimed.

"To block with Iron Tail, and then to attack while your opponent is distracted, I have to say... Ash is quite amazing in my taste!" Cilan commented. Iris sweat dropped at the evaluation, as she sighed.

"Regain your balance, Riolu! And then, use Blaze Kick!" Takeru yelled. Riolu flipped into the air, as he recovered from the Iron Tail surprise. He then dove down, kicking Pikachu's back with Blaze Kick.

The Electric Type gritted his teeth in pain, as he skidded back to Ash. "Alright! Pikachu, quick! Use Volt Tackle!" Ash yelled. With determination encouraging him, the Electric Type charged at Riolu with his special move.

"We'll counter that with Force Palm and ThunderPunch combined!" Takeru yelled. The Emanation Pokémon focused his two fists, as he prepared an electrifying Force Palm attack, making it stronger.

The two cried out their battle cries, colliding with each other with their special moves. An explosion occurred, startling everyone around the battlefield, including the two boys.

"No way... Riolu!" "Pikachu!?" Takeru and Ash yelled together. They called their partner's names out, until the dust began to clear. One figure was struggling to stand, while the other was perfectly balanced.

"So... Who won?" Iris asked. "Just a little longer..." Cilan called. Everyone looked closely to see the dust cleared. It was Riolu who was struggling to stand, falling on one knee, while Pikachu panted, balanced perfectly.

"What..." "Huh?" The two boys were bewildered, until Pikachu couldn't take it anymore, forcing him fall onto the ground, fainting. "Ah! Oh no, Pikachu!" Ash gasped. "Pikachu is unable to battle! Riolu wins! Which means the victor goes to Takeru, from Nuvema Town!" Don George declared.

**Winner: Takeru**

"I don't believe it! And it was a very close one, too..." Iris admitted, amazed with the close outcome. "Indeed. I'd say both Ash and Takeru were equally strong, since they both fought their hardest in this." Cilan agreed.

"Ah... We won, huh... Phew." Takeru sighed in relief. Riolu panted until his human brother picked him up, smiling at him. "Thanks a bunch, Riolu. Thanks to you, we were able to win the battle!" Takeru thanked.

_"B-Big brother... Stop embarrassing me..."_ Riolu whined. But secretly, he growled in content, grinning happily from his brother scratching his chin. As for Ash, he smiled sadly, before walking over to his fainted Pikachu.

"Hey, Pikachu, are you okay?" Ash asked. He held the Electric Type in his arms, as Pikachu weakly nodded. "Pikachu..." Pikachu groaned, sad that he wasn't able to win for Ash again.

"It's alright. You really battled your hardest out there! That's what counts!" Ash assured. "Pika." Pikachu replied weakly. The two heard footsteps as they looked to see the Nuvema boy walking over with two Sitrus Berries.

"Here. Give this one to Pikachu." Takeru replied, offering one. "Great. Thanks." Ash thanked, as he took the berry, and giving it to Pikachu. The Electric Type took a bite out of it, starting to recover from the battle.

Don George let out a loud laugh, startling the two boys. "Now that, is what I call a great battle! Despite of the battling progress, I couldn't tell which one of you could win!" Don George admitted.

"Seriously, sir?" Takeru grumbled, sweat dropping at the laugh. "Way to go, you two!" Iris cheered. "Axew Ax!" Axew cheered along. Apparently, he had watched the battle too, as Cilan smirked.

"A delicious taste of a close battle! Truly marvelous!" Cilan complimented. At the compliments, the two boys smiled together, nodding. "Thanks for the compliments, you guys." Ash thanked.

The Nuvema boy smiled along, with a small nod, before he turned to the Kanto trainer. "Ash, I think you will have a perfect chance of winning against Lenora now at this state." Takeru assured.

"Thanks, Takeru... Thanks to this battle, I'm confident that the Nacrene Gym Badge will be mine!" Ash assured. "You'll have to beat her in order to do that, Ash..." Iris giggled silently.

Axew giggled along, causing everyone else to laugh along as well. Takeru narrowed his eyes with a knowing look. _"Tomorrow will be different for Ash... I just know it..."_ Takeru thought.

To be continued...

**Takeru's Team:**

**Riolu: (M): (Force Palm, Blaze Kick, ThunderPunch, Dig)**

**Joltik: (M): (Electro Ball, Electroweb, String Shot, Signal Beam)**

**Tranquill: (M): (Air Cutter, Gust, Roost, Aerial Ace)**

**Tepig: (M): (Flamethrower, Smog, Flame Charge, Rollout)**

**Egg: (N/A): This Egg has moved a few times, so it's close to hatching soon.**

Next chapters:

**Chapter 32: Ash VS Lenora! A Second Chance!**

**Chapter 33: Scraggy and Zorua! Two Mischiefs!?**

**Chapter 34: Go Scraggy and Zorua!? Double Trouble!**

**Chapter 35: The Sewaddle Gets Us Lost!**

**Chapter 36: The Grass Guardian Protects the One!?**

**Next chapter preview:**

Lenora: You came back! I hope you prepared this time, because this battle will be a bit different!

Cilan: It seems like, after her battle with Takeru, Lillipup must've evolved into Herdier!

Ash: It doesn't matter! The more stronger the opponent is, the better the battle will be! Let's do it!

Lenora: I like your spirit, Ash... However, that doesn't mean you'll get the Basic Badge from me that easily!

Takeru: Lenora has gotten stronger, too... Looks like we're not the only ones who trained for another battle...

Iris: You can do it, Ash! Just stay focused and you'll win!


	32. Ash VS Lenora! A Second Chance!

**Chapter 32: Ash VS Lenora! A Second Chance!**

Last time on "Pokémon Unova Journey", after losing to Lenora in his rematch while Takeru taking the win, Ash decided to get some training at the Pokémon Battle Club, where Don George prepares him for some training.

Takeru gets involved with the training as he aids Ash with most of the training part, while even joining him with the swim training part. Ash, Tepig, and Oshawott trained hard as they could to win their rematch tomorrow.

Once the training was finished, Ash had challenged Takeru to a three on three battle, for him to see whether he would be ready to face Lenora tomorrow. So, the battle went on, with the results being very close.

In the end however, it was Takeru getting the win. Despite of losing however, the Kanto trainer was told that he would have a chance of defeating Lenora tomorrow, which made him pumped as he prepares for his Gym battle tomorrow.

**The next morning...**

"You're back! I've been waiting." Lenora chuckled. Soon, the four trainers were back at the Nacrene Gym as Ash was immediately facing Lenora for his rematch battle and the Basic Badge.

Iris, Takeru, Cilan, Pikachu, Axew, and Riolu watched from the sidelines, with Hawes being the referee once again. "That confident look on your face tells me that you've been training a lot!" Lenora guessed.

Ash smirked at that, as he was indeed feeling confident. "We've been working with Don George and Takeru back at the Pokémon Battle Club! And this time, I'll be getting that badge for sure!" Ash assured.

The Gym Leader only let out an amused chuckle, before she looked up. "Well, it certainly hasn't done anything to dampen your spirit! So, you can expect double from me!" Lenora assured.

That left both Ash and Takeru confused as the Kanto trainer asked. "What do you mean?" Ash asked. Lenora smiled and took out two of her Pokéballs. "Look! You'll be facing off against these two Pokémon!" Lenora called.

She threw her two Pokéballs into the air, summoning her two Pokémon. One was Watchog, while the other looked a little like Lillipup, but it looked bigger and fiercer than the Puppy Pokémon.

"Watchog and... Who's that Pokémon?" Ash asked, taking out his Pokédex. Takeru narrowed his eyes, unsure of the battle conditions now. "That's a Herdier... A Pokémon that Lillipup evolves into!" Takeru pointed out.

"What!?" Ash gasped as the Pokédex scanned Herdier. _"Herdier, the Loyal Dog Pokémon, and the evolved form of Lillipup. Herdier's hard black fur softens its opponent's attacks like armor."_ Ash's Pokédex buzzed.

Iris frowned along, seeing Herdier. "Lillipup evolved? Hm... So Lenora is using a different Pokémon in this battle..." Iris replied. "Axew!" Axew agreed. Cilan folded his arms, making his guess.

"Lenora must be trying to bring out Ash's strength! And the best way was to evolve Lillipup into Herdier!" Cilan explained. Takeru frowned, shaking his head. "Then this battle will be much more difficult than facing Lillipup..." Takeru reminded.

_"Huh... This is a challenge, big bro?"_ Riolu asked, causing the Nuvema boy to answer. "Yeah... This is a test of power and potential..." Takeru explained, as Lenora gave a smirk.

Ash however, didn't seem to be fazed by seeing Herdier's evolved form as he grinned. "Alright! Herdier's stronger than Lillipup for sure!... Yeah! I am so psyched!" Ash exclaimed, causing Lenora to chuckle at that.

"I'm glad that you like my surprise, Ash. Herdier will also be your first opponent!" Lenora reminded. She recalled Watchog back to its Pokéball, as the Kanto trainer took out his own.

"We're ready! You're just gonna see on how hard we trained! Alright, Tepig! I choose you!" Ash called. He summoned the Fire Pig Pokémon out of its Pokéball, as the two glared at each other in rivalry.

Herdier growled, while Tepig flared his nose up, filled with determination. The Gym Leader smirked, amused to see the burning spirit. "That's the spirit, Tepig!" Ash exclaimed, complimenting his Fire Type.

Hawes cleared his throat, explaining the Gym battle rules. "The Nacrene Gym Battle rematch challenge will now get underway! Between the Gym Leader Lenora, and Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town!" Hawes explained.

Both trainers were ready as Hawes continued. "This is a two on two battle! The first move goes to the challenger! So, let the battle begin!" Hawes declared.

**Lenora: Herdier + 1 VS Ash: Tepig + 1**

"Alright then! Tepig, use Ember!" Ash yelled. The Fire Pig Pokémon charged at his opponent, running to inflict damage with the Fire Type attack. Lenora seemed to be ready for this, however.

"Quick, Herdier! Use Protect!" Lenora called. The Loyal Dog Pokémon created a barrier around him, negating the Ember attack. Ash widened his eyes in surprise as the Gym Leader countered with her own strategies.

"Now! Use Shadow Ball!" Lenora called. Herdier roared as he unleashed four Shadow Balls, all headed straight for Tepig. "Herdier is able to create more than one Shadow Ball now... That's impressive..." Takeru complimented.

_"So... that must mean Herdier has gotten stronger?"_ Riolu asked in a bark. The Nuvema boy nodded as he glanced at Ash, frowning. "So, how will Ash counter this? Will he use the same method back at the Battle Club?" Takeru asked.

Iris and Cilan could only watch as Ash attempted to counter the Shadow Balls. "Tepig, dodge it!" Ash called. The Fire Type quickly evaded two Shadow Balls, before meeting up with two more.

"Alright! Let 'em have it with Ember!" Ash called. The Fire Pig Pokémon shot Ember, catching the two Shadow Balls before making them disappear. The two destroyed Shadow Balls exploded as Lenora smirked.

"That's excellent! All that training made Tepig much faster and powered up its moves as well!" Lenora complimented. Right after the Fire Type landed, Ash called in for another attack.

"Offense, Tepig! Use Tackle!" Ash yelled. Tepig charged at Herdier, growing much faster than the last battle. However, it proved to be no good as Lenora already called in her next clever strategy.

"Show them that they're wasting their time with Roar!" Lenora called. At the order, the Loyal Dog Pokémon roared, which was more louder and powerful than before. Tepig blinked, startled as he was forced to return to his Pokéball.

At the same time, Ash's other Pokéball opened, forcing Oshawott to come out, much to its surprise. Ash bit his lips, seeing that the same thing was going over again as Lenora prepared to return Herdier.

"We'll exchange as well! Herdier, return!... And Watchog, come on out!" Lenora called. Once the Loyal Dog Pokémon was returned, Lenora's second Pokémon, Watchog appeared, glaring at the Water Type.

"Watchog! Use Mean Look!" Lenora called. Once again, just like the last battle, Mean Look was activated as all the eyes stared at the Sea Otter Pokémon, much to his curiosity and surprise.

Cilan and Iris grew startled to see the same tactics, but Ash and Takeru didn't seem so concerned. "Of course! First off, you use Roar, and then you use Mean Look! So, you're using that strategy again!" Ash chuckled.

The Gym Leader smiled, thinking of what Ash might be thinking. "Well, if you knew that this was coming, I hope that you prepared with some counter-strategy!" Lenora advised, as Ash smirked.

"You bet I did! Oshawott, use Razor Shell!" Ash called. The Sea Otter Pokémon prepared its scalchop, aiming to slash Watchog away. "Alright, Watchog! Dodge it!" Lenora yelled.

The evolved Normal Type jumped, but it didn't see that Oshawott followed, causing the Water Type to slash Watchog with a direct hit. The Gym Leader chuckled, seeing that her dodging was easily countered.

"Well! I can see that Oshawott is a lot faster, too!" Lenora pointed out. "Right! It's time to use our new move! Now, Oshawott! It's time to use Aqua Jet!" Ash called. Takeru widened his eyes, before he tried to warn Ash.

"No, Ash! Don't use Aqua Jet!" Takeru warned. Iris and Cilan turned in surprise while Ash blinked. It was too late to call it back though, as the Aqua Jet made its move, heading straight for Watchog.

But suddenly, the move swerved, causing Oshawott to take the damage for himself! Ash, Takeru, Iris, and Cilan all gasped as the move failed, as the Kanto trainer called out to his Pokémon.

"Hey, Oshawott! You okay!?" Ash called. "Osha..." Oshawott responded with a weak nod. The Kanto trainer nodded back as he tried again. "Alright then! Then, use Aqua Jet again!" Ash called.

Once again, Aqua Jet was used, as the Sea Otter Pokémon tried to make success this time. He let out a battle cry, before he surrounded himself with water, charging towards Watchog once again.

However, the move swerved, forcing Oshawott to hit himself on the ground again! "Ah!? Oshawott!?" Ash gasped. Takeru frowned, while Iris and Cilan blinked in surprise. "Huh? Again!?" Iris responded in surprise.

"Oshawott's Aqua Jet is still a bit shaky! Even after all that work!" Cilan pointed out. Takeru folded his arms, making his guess. "I don't think Oshawott is quite ready to use that move, if it can't master it..." Takeru pointed out.

_"So that means... Aqua Jet is useless for now?"_ Riolu asked in worry. "Yeah... Looks like it." Takeru answered. As for the Kanto trainer, he bit his lips, knowing that he's putting himself in a disadvantage.

"Oshawott..." Ash replied in concern. For the Water Type, it managed to get back up. "You two are really something! Oshawott is much faster and even learned Aqua Jet... Although that move looks like it has quite a ways to go!" Lenora chuckled.

She then smirked, pointing at herself. "Truth to be told... You don't have enough to defeat me!" Lenora stated. That made the Kanto trainer even more determined as he glared back with his disagreement.

"Don't be so sure! Oshawott, Water Gun!" Ash called. Oshawott shot up, before spraying the Water Gun attack towards Watchog. In an instant, Watchog dodged it, much to the Sea Otter Pokémon's surprise.

At that time, Lenora made her move. "Watchog! Confuse Ray, go!" Lenora called. The Normal Type launched glowing rays of balls towards Oshawott, which began to surround him. The Water Type grew puzzled as he stepped back.

Suddenly, the rays hit the Water Type, causing him to groan, dizzy for some reason. Ash widened his eyes in surprise, not believing of what he's seeing. "What's going on!?" Ash asked. Lenora only smiled at Ash's surprise.

"Train all you want! But, if your Pokémon is confused, it won't mean a thing! Don't you think?" Lenora asked. Her point was proven as the now confused Oshawott started to walk around in dizziness.

"No... At this rate, Oshawott will be vulnerable to all of Lenora's attacks! She sure is proving her point." Takeru commented, feeling unsure of the situation of the battle now. "Hmm..." Cilan folded his arms, trying to think it over.

"I think it's our turn, Watchog! Use Thunderbolt!" Lenora called. Watchog charged up, ready to shoot the super effective attack. Ash gasped as he tried to counter it. "Deflect it with Razor Shell!" Ash called.

The scalchop managed to block a bit of the Electric Type attack... But, it wasn't enough to stop its full power! Oshawott wailed as he was knocked back to the ground. The Kanto trainer tried to encourage his Water Type to fight.

"Oshawott! Use Water Gun and show them what you've got!" Ash yelled. Due to its confusion, Oshawott couldn't aim as he shot the Water Gun at the wall! Takeru face palmed, shaking his head.

"You can just rely on luck to do the attacking for you..." Takeru commented. Riolu shook his head with a sigh. Last night training seemed to have been a waste... or was it? Cilan pointed it out in surprise.

"In addition to being confused, Oshawott was hit with an Electric move, with the type advantage! So, I'm afraid Oshawott has taken a large amount of damage at this point!" Cilan explained. Iris bit her lips at the tight situation.

"Are you telling me that, even after that battle with Takeru last night, Ash is still going to lose this!? For real!? After all that training!?" Iris gasped. Takeru shook his head as he glared ahead.

"No... I'm sure Ash can win this! It's going to take a miracle to turn this thing around, though..." Takeru assured. Ash took a deep breath, before making his choice. "We're going to win this! Oshawott! Aqua Jet, let's go!" Ash called.

The confused Oshawott nodded and unleashed his new move, heading for Watchog. "But Oshawott hasn't mastered the Aqua Jet yet! Ash, what are you planning!?" Takeru called in shock._ "O-Oshawott!?" _Riolu gasped.

"I'd say let's finish this up! Watchog, use Thunderbolt!" Lenora called. As Aqua Jet came through, Watchog unleashed several Thunderbolts, all aiming it towards Oshawott. However, all of them missed, much to the Gym Leader's shock.

"Do it!" Ash called. Watchog could only yelp as the Aqua Jet made a direct hit on him, as the Sea Otter Pokémon took some damage as well from the confusion side effect. "Oshawott!" "Watchog, no!" Both trainers called.

Everyone watched as the dust cleared from the collision. Both Watchog and Oshawott were knocked out from the battle, as Hawes gasped, before making his declaration of the first match.

"Watchog and Oshawott are both unable to battle!" Hawes declared. Cilan and Iris both sighed in relief, while Takeru smiled weakly, seeing that at least one of Lenora's Pokémon was down by the Aqua Jet.

**Ash: 1 Pokémon **

**Lenora: 1 Pokémon **

"Looks like Oshawott's shaky Aqua Jet ended up hitting its target after being struck by Thunderbolt! It's like two coincidences colliding and creating an exquisite harmony! Pokémon battling are such interesting events!" Cilan exclaimed.

The Nuvema boy nodded along, as he glanced at Riolu. "Looks like it's just one on one now, Riolu." Takeru stated. _"Yeah, but... That last one of Lenora's is Herdier, right? Will Tepig be able to beat it?"_ Riolu asked in question.

Takeru looked back at the battle, seeing Ash's determination to win. "Look at Ash's eyes... He's just the guy who doesn't seem to give up that easily." Takeru pointed out with a chuckle.

Riolu blinked, before he saw Ash smiling, despite the fact that the results was a draw. "So now... Both Ash and Lenora are left with one Pokémon! So, all Ash has to do is to beat Herdier and he gets that badge!" Iris pointed out.

At that time, both trainers were returning their fainted Pokémon. "Thanks a lot, Oshawott... You deserve a good rest!" Ash thanked. As for the Gym Leader, she remained calm, while amazed at the same time.

"Well, what do you know? Ash's Oshawott defeated my Watchog... But, I'm afraid that your luck is not going to last!" Lenora assured. She took out Herdier's Pokéball, preparing for the final battle.

"Herdier, let's go!" "Tepig! I choose you!" Lenora and Ash called. Both the Normal Type and the Fire Type appeared once again, preparing for their real second battle. "Alright! Tepig, use Ember!" Ash called.

The Fire Pig Pokémon shot into the air and shot the fireballs at Herdier, while the Gym Leader was ready. "Protect, quick!" Lenora called. Right when Ember was shot, Protect surrounded Herdier, preventing him from taking any damage.

Ash only glared as he kept fighting with Tepig. "Tackle, let's go!" Ash yelled. Right in the blink of an eye, the Fire Type slammed Herdier away with a hard Tackle, knocking it to the ground.

It managed to get up though, while Cilan and Iris were amazed. "Look at Tepig go! Its moves has risen to a new level of speed and power!" Cilan pointed out. Takeru nodded along, recalling of the tough training both Ash and Tepig had.

"Yeah... With all the training those two had, it would be weird to not believe that Tepig has gotten much faster and stronger..." Takeru stated. _"Then... Tepig might have a chance to win this!"_ Riolu barked in excitement.

Back at the battle, Ash continued on with the same attack. "Tepig! Use Tackle once again!" Ash called. The Fire Pig Pokémon shot forward with another Tackle attack, attempting to strike Herdier.

"Use Shadow Ball!" Lenora called. Herdier roared, launching the four Shadow Balls. At all four coming at him at the same time, Tepig yelped, being caught off guard as he was slammed to the ground by the impact.

"Tepig was up way too close to dodge those Shadow Balls!" Iris pointed out. "Its faster speed allowed Tepig to come up close! But in this case, it backfired!" Cilan added. Pikachu, Riolu, and Axew kept watching while Takeru remained silent.

_"There's something that Lenora is hiding... But what?"_ The Nuvema boy thought. Shadow Ball... Roar... and Protect... There was one more move that the Gym Leader hasn't shown just yet.

Is it Take Down? Or a new powerful move? "Tepig! Are you okay!?" Ash called. Tepig responded with a nod and determined look, as he kept his glare at Herdier. Lenora chuckled, admitting her amazement.

"Ash, what a bond you two have! Tepig wants to live up to your expectations no matter what! But, as the Nacrene Gym Leader, I have expectations, too! To give it all I've got! Herdier, Giga Impact!" Lenora yelled.

The evolved Normal Type roared as he charged with a powerful move. The Giga Impact smashed Tepig away, causing him to wail as he tumbled onto the ground. "Ah! Oh no, Tepig!" Ash gasped.

Takeru, Iris, and Cilan were all in shock to see how much power Herdier had to use in order to put Tepig back to the ground. "How powerful was that?" Iris replied with a gulp. Cilan took a step back, amazed.

"Lenora's such an incredible Normal Type Gym Leader! She has wide variety of moves, along with the wide variety of styles!" Cilan explained. Takeru glanced at Cilan with a concerned look. "Then, what are you saying? Are you saying Ash is going to lose?" Takeru snapped.

"Y-Yeah! We're not sure on whose side you're on! Think about Tepig and Ash!" Iris reminded. The Connoisseur sweat dropped, before he made his sheepish apology. Back to Ash, he seemed to be not done yet.

"Hang in there, Tepig! You can still battle because you're strong! Don't forget, that I believe in you!" Ash reminded. The bright encouragement caused Tepig to stand, as he glared back at Herdier.

"Herdier! Use Shadow Ball!" Lenora called. Once again, the four Shadow Balls were all launched at Tepig, as the Kanto trainer attempted to counter them again. "Tepig! Dodge them quick!" Ash yelled.

At the incoming Ghost Type attacks, Tepig managed to dodge all of them barely. As he landed on the ground, he began to pant, feeling a bit exhausted from all the powerful attacks he took!

"Tepig is running out of steam! I'm afraid that... if Lenora lands one more attack... Then, that's it!" Iris pointed out. Cilan and Takeru watched as the Striaton Gym Leader made his statement.

"It'll be the unhappy finish of a long race! The end... No second badge..." Cilan reminded. "Pika Pika!" "Axew ew!" Pikachu and Axew cheered along. _"Come on! You're stronger than that, Tepig!"_ Riolu barked in cheer.

"That's right... Tepig is much stronger than that... His persistence can't be shoved away..." Takeru whispered under his breath. As for Lenora, she saw Tepig's fatigue condition and planned to attack again.

"Tepig's almost finished! So, let's keep up the pressure! Herdier! Shadow Ball, let's go!" Lenora called. Herdier roared, unleashing the four Ghost Type moves once again. Ash wasn't about to let this end, though.

"Get going, Tepig! Dodge them all!" Ash called. The Shadow Balls were launched, but all of them missed their mark as the Fire Type kept dodging. This left Lenora surprised as Ash kept the beat up.

"Now! Show some of that power... with Flame Charge!" Ash yelled. The Fire Type let out a battle cry as he launched himself towards Herdier. The Gym Leader planned to counter it with her powerful attack.

"Herdier! Giga Impact, let's go!" Lenora called. Herdier roared, using the powerful attack once again. The two battlers were getting close to each other as everyone began to cheer for Tepig.

"Show them how strong you are, Tepig! DO IT!" Ash yelled. "Go, Tepig!" Cilan, Iris, and Takeru yelled. "Pi Pika!" "Axew!" _"Fight, Tepig!"_ Pikachu, Axew, and Riolu cheered along.

As the cheers grew louder, the more determined Tepig had become. The Giga Impact and Flame Charge collided with each other, creating a huge explosion. "Ngh... Tepig!?" Ash shouted in concern.

Finally, as the dust cleared, both Tepig and Herdier were groaning, both looking unconscious. "Herdier! Get up! Get up!" Lenora called. Ash did the same, calling out for his Fire Type. "Come on, Tepig! Get up!" Ash called.

Finally, after a few seconds, both battlers were slowly and struggling to stand as they glared at each other weakly. Hawes inspected the condition and declared the battle results.

"Herdier is unable to battle! Tepig is the winner! Which means that the victor goes to Ash Ketchum, the challenger!" Hawes declared. "Alright! Tepig... Hey, Tepig! We did it! We really did it!" Ash cheered.

**Winner: Ash**

He ran to his exhausted Fire Type, who nodded back with a grin. Takeru, Iris, and Cilan all ran over, along with Pikachu, Axew, and Riolu. "Ash! That was amazing!" Takeru commented.

"Ash! That was awesome! You two were great!" Iris complimented. "We sure did! And it's thanks to you guys cheering us on!" Ash thanked. Cilan smiled, making his choice of compliment.

"Tepig's Flame Charge was great! As a matter of fact, it was a great recipe for a battle! Train hard! Win hard!" Cilan exclaimed. "You got that right, Cilan..." Takeru chuckled, with Riolu snickering a little.

"Connoisseur-Boy is right! You really are something, Ash!" Lenora complimented. Everyone turned to Lenora walking over with Hawes, as the Gym Leader held her Herdier's Pokéball.

Hawes let out a chuckle, admitting his amazement. "Right! Who would've thought you'd use Flame Charge when you did? You really caught the two of us by surprise!" Hawes explained, with a sheepish laugh.

"All kidding aside, I really admired your battling style." Lenora complimented. "Heh heh... Thanks very much, Lenora!" Ash thanked. The Gym Leader smiled as she handed Ash the Basic Badge.

"Here, Ash. This is the Basic Badge! Good luck in your future battles and keep believing in all of your Pokémon!" Lenora complimented. The Kanto trainer grinned with a nod, taking the Unova Gym Badge.

"I will!... How great is this?! I just got the Basic Badge!" Ash cheered. He raised the Gym Badge high into the air, causing Pikachu, Tepig, and Oshawott, who came out of his Pokéball, to cheer alongside him.

After the cheer, everyone laughed along, seeing that another accomplishment has been made for the group. After saying their farewells to Lenora and Hawes, the group headed back to the Pokémon Center to see the condition of the two Pokémon Eggs.

After a few minutes passed, Nurse Joy handed the two Eggs to the two boys. "Ash, Takeru? Here are your Pokémon Eggs!" Nurse Joy called. Both Ash and Takeru took the Eggs in thanks.

"Thank you, Nurse Joy. You've been a really good help." Takeru thanked. "Why, thank you! I've put the two Eggs in a thorough exam... It's looking really well! And the two Eggs might hatch soon!" Nurse Joy explained.

That left both Takeru and Riolu stunned while Ash grew amazed and excited. "Whoa, really!?" Ash exclaimed. "Yes! So make sure that the two of you take really good care of it!" Nurse Joy reminded.

"Right!" "Alright." Ash and Takeru agreed together. So, with the reminder done, the four trainers left the Center to locate the next Unova Gym, which Cilan located it in his travel guide.

"Let's see here... The closest Gym from here would be... Castelia City!" Cilan pointed out. "That's the Castelia Gym! So, Ash! Takeru! Are you two going to challenge it?" Iris asked. Ash immediately answered to that.

"You bet! And I'm going to win my third Gym Badge there!" Ash assured. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu agreed. "You're not the only one who's challenging there, Ash. Remember." Takeru reminded.

_"Right! We're battling there, too!"_ Riolu barked in reminder. "Right! I know that! And Takeru..." Ash started with a smile. "Yeah?" The Nuvema boy blinked in wonder, waiting for Ash's words.

"Thanks for helping me there... If it weren't for you helping me with my training, I don't think there was another way for me to win against Lenora in that rematch battle." Ash thanked, offering a fist bump.

Takeru blinked, before he smiled softly and nodded. "You're welcome, Ash. I was glad to help you too, since it also helped me with my training." Takeru replied back. He accepted the fist bump as they did it together.

"Oh, you two... That's sweet!" Iris giggled. "A marvelous taste of sweetness by the close bond between you two is delightfully marvelous, indeed!" Cilan complimented with a chuckle.

Ash ribbed the back of his head sheepishly with a grin. "Come on, you guys! It's not like that!" Ash complained. "Pika! Pika Pika!" Pikachu agreed. "What Ash said... It's not what you think." Takeru assured.

This made both Iris and Cilan chuckle even harder as the two boys were left, laughing at. They both sighed, relieved to know of where their next location for the Gym will be in.

To be continued...

**Takeru's Team:**

**Riolu: (M): (Force Palm, Blaze Kick, ThunderPunch, Dig)**

**Joltik: (M): (Electro Ball, Signal Beam, String Shot, Electroweb)**

**Tranquill: (M): (Air Cutter, Gust, Aerial Ace, Roost)**

**Tepig: (M): (Flamethrower, Smog, Flame Charge, Rollout)**

**Egg: (N/A): This Egg has moved a few times, so it's close to hatching soon.**

Next chapters:

**Chapter 33: Scraggy and Zorua! Two Mischiefs!?**

**Chapter 34: Go Scraggy and Zorua!? Double Trouble!**

**Chapter 35: The Sewaddle Gets Us Lost!**

**Chapter 36: ****The Grass Guardian Protects the One!?**

**Chapter 37: A Connoisseuse!? Or a Fraud!?**

**Next chapter preview:**

Ash: Wow! Look at that! Both of our Pokémon Eggs are hatching!... Whoa?! Who are these Pokémon!?

Iris: Yours is a Scraggy, Ash! And Takeru's is a Zorua! Those two look so adorable together!... Or so I thought...

Takeru: Hey, Zorua! Cut it out! I know that you just want to play, but you can't be making fun of us all the time!

Ash: Hey, come on, Scraggy! The rest of our Pokémon wants to be friends with you! Can't you at least be friendlier?

Cilan: I guess that these two don't have the thoughts about making friends, while making peace at the same time...

Takeru: I guess we can call these two little ones the little troublemakers, I suppose... Since they're making trouble for all of us.


	33. Scraggy and Zorua? Double Trouble!

**Chapter 33: Scraggy and Zorua!? Double Trouble!**

"Just six more! Let's make it work, Pikachu!" Ash called. "Pikachu!" Pikachu cried with a nod. On their way to Castelia City for Ash and Takeru's third Unova Gym Badge, the group takes a short break on the route.

Ash was checking on his new second badge from yesterday, seeing that he has one-fourth of the Unova Gym Badges he needed. Cilan was sitting on a rock, seeing Ash admire his two badges.

Takeru was checking on his black Egg, with Riolu. Iris just stood around, looking at the forests. "Nurse Joy said that it would hatch very soon yesterday... Yet, I'm feeling a bit impatient right now..." Takeru chuckled.

_"You're not the only one who's impatient, big bro. I want to see our new friend or sibling hatch!"_ Riolu barked out with eagerness. The Nuvema boy blinked, seeing that Riolu had said either a new friend or sibling.

Takeru only smiled and nodded. "We'll see." Takeru assured. Axew peeked at Ash's egg, causing to gain the Nuvema duo's attention. They watched as the little Dragon Type searched high and low on the Egg.

Suddenly, the Egg moved several times, before it began to glow! Axew let out a yelp of surprise as he fell backwards. Takeru and Riolu widened their eyes in surprise, until the Egg that the Nuvema boy was holding started to shake as well.

"W-Whoa!?" Takeru gasped. He stood up straight as Riolu's eyes began to shine in excitement. _"Big bro! It's glowing and moving! The Egg is starting to hatch soon!"_ Riolu barked in excitement.

"Axew! Axew ew!" Axew cried to Iris. Iris and Cilan both turned to see Axew jumping up and down. "Huh!? Axew, what's wrong?" Iris asked. "Axew Axew ew!" Axew cried, pointing at the Egg. Iris blinked, before she grew amazed.

"Oh wow! Ash! Takeru! Your Eggs! Both of them are hatching!" Iris pointed out. Cilan and Ash were amazed as the Kanto trainer stood up with a grin. "Whoa, it's true!" Ash exclaimed. "Pika!" Pikachu agreed.

The four trainers gathered around, while the two boys held their Eggs into their arms. "When it glows, you know what that means! It won't be long before it hatches now!" Cilan declared.

The Kanto trainer held the Egg high into the air, amazed with the bright glow. "Wow... I can't wait to see what kind of Pokémon it is! Don't you, Pikachu?" Ash asked. "Pikachu!" Pikachu agreed happily.

"I believe that goes for us, too!" Takeru reminded. _"Right! It won't be long now!"_ Riolu barked, grinning.

**(Pokémon: BW Best Wishes Opening: Be An Arrow! (English Subbed))**

(Ash, Takeru, Cilan, and Iris are running with Pikachu, Riolu, Pansage, and Axew, with colorful arrows flying above them as they ran to a light!)

**_One swiftly running arrow!_**

(A blue pillar and orange pillar appears, showing Ash and Pikachu, with Takeru and Riolu)

_**One supple arrow!**_

(A purple pillar appears, showing Iris and Axew)

_**One thinking arrow!**_

(A yellow green pillar appears, showing Cilan)

_**That's us now!**_

(Ash, Takeru, Cilan, and Iris stand together as they move towards the air together)

**_Cross the green mountain, remove the white clouds_**

(The Japanese opening appears)

_**Let's colorfully push through the wilderness, become an arrow!**_

(A group of wild Pokémon from the five regions run or fly along)

_**Even if we suddenly turn around, twist, and shake**_

(Ash, Cilan, Takeru, and Iris are running alongside with the Water Type Pokémon on the sea)

(Meloetta suddenly appears, snatching Ash's hat from his head)

_**There's no way that we'll get separated!**_

(In Prof. Oak's laboratory, all of Ash's Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh were there; Charizard gives a thumbs up to the screen)

_**Sometimes I can no longer see the road, and don't know where to go**_

(Ash and Takeru were stopped by giant pillars, blocking their way)

_**But you will always be by my side!**_

(Pikachu and Riolu appears, with Pikachu using Thunderbolt, while Riolu uses Aura Sphere)

(Both trainers and Pokémon smile happily at each other)

_**Even the bright sun is hidden by the clouds sometimes**_

(Keldeo, Cobalion, Virizion, and Terrakion stands together on top of an ice)

(Kyurem appears, turning into either Black or White Kyurem)

_**But meetings will always bring light!**_

(Cynthia and Alder smile at the four trainers standing at the bottom)

(Hikaru and Dawn comes by, with Infernape using Flamethrower, as Piplup uses Hydro Pump)

(Jessie, James, and Meowth let out evil smirks)

_**One too hot arrow!**_

(Stephan and Sawk pose together, standing together)

_**Two competitive arrows!**_

(Trip and Servine appears together after the dust clears)

_**Three helpful arrows!**_

(Bianca comes by with Pignite, as the two fall together)

_**So the heart will never break!**_

(Trip, Dawn, Hikaru, Iris, Ash, Takeru, Cilan, Bianca, and Stephan stand together with their Pokémon partners)

_**Aim forward as an arrow!**_

(Everyone shoots in the air, towards the sky)

_**Shine greater than even now as an arrow!**_  
_**Thrust toward your dream!**_

(Everyone combines together, creating a huge arrow, shooting towards the building)

(Takeru, Ash, Cilan, and Iris all stand together with all of their current Pokémon)

(Ash: Pikachu, Oshawott, Snivy, Tepig, Pidove, Scraggy)  
(Takeru: Riolu, Tranquill, Tepig, Joltik, Zorua, Petilil)  
(Iris: Axew and Excadrill)  
(Cilan: Pansage and Dwebble)

**(Opening ends)**

When the Eggs stopped glowing for a moment, both Ash and Takeru took out their Pokémon Eggs out, placing them on two pillows. Riolu grinned, as his tail wagged fast, as he was hoping for a new friend or sibling.

Axew watched carefully, as Iris turned to her Dragon Type. "Of course! You've never seen a Pokémon Egg hatch before, have you, Axew?" Iris asked. "Ew?" Axew asked, walking closer to the Eggs.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu chuckled, seeing both of his friends excited for their new friends. "Everyone's really excited, aren't they?" Cilan asked. "You can say that again. All of us are!" Takeru assured, chuckling.

"Axew! You're going to be a big brother soon!" Iris pointed out. At that statement, Axew blushed, now wanting the Egg to hatch even more. "That goes for you, Riolu. I think you'll be the perfect brother for the newborn!" Takeru assured.

_"Y-You really think so, big brother?"_ Riolu stuttered, as he fiddled with his paws, while blushing at the same time. The Nuvema boy nodded with a smile, making Riolu grin happily, before he turned back to the black Egg.

Axew let out a happy dance, cheering for a new Pokémon friend to play with. "Yay! You're thrilled!" Iris giggled. Axew cheered, until he slipped, falling to the ground. The fall knocked Ash's Egg off the pillow!

Iris gasped as she tried to catch it, until it was too late. Ash, Cilan, and Takeru gasped along, while Axew, Pikachu, and Riolu were in shock. The Egg began to roll away, far from the group as it went down the hill.

"Come back!" "Hold on!" "Catch that Egg!" "Stop right there!" The four trainers called. While running, the Nuvema boy held onto his black Egg. Ash's Pokémon Egg began to roll away, as everyone started to chase it.

"Wait up!" Ash yelled. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu cried along. He dashed ahead of Ash, trying to keep up with the runaway Egg. "Please, stop!" Iris pleaded. "Axew Ax!" Axew cried out in desperation.

"Come on... Stop right there, I say!" Takeru yelled. _"Come back!"_ Riolu barked desperately. But, it was no use as the Egg kept rolling down, much faster than the four trainer's running speed.

Suddenly, Ash's Pokémon Egg flew into the air after being hit by a rock. Iris and Axew gasped as the Egg was sent flying. The Kanto trainer was determined to save his Egg as he turned to Pikachu.

"Quick, Pikachu! Use Quick Attack!" Ash cried. The Electric Type charged in, following the Egg as fast as he could with his agility. As everyone could only watch, the Egg bounced on a giant leaf, and was once again sent flying into the air!

It was headed straight for a rock, as everyone gasped in shock. "AH!?" The four trainers gasped. Riolu and Axew gasped in shock as they couldn't look. "PIKA PI!" Pikachu cried. He dove for the Egg, catching it before it smashed on the rock.

Ash ran over to his partner and panted. "Pikachu! Are you okay!?" Ash called. The Electric Type stood up and gave a nod and an assuring smile to Ash. "Pika." Pikachu answered. "And the Egg?" Ash asked.

The Electric Type inspected the Egg as Takeru and Riolu ran over. The Emanation Pokémon ran over to Ash's Pokémon Egg and scanned the Egg over with his aura, trying to see if there was any damage to it.

Once it seemed clear, Riolu shook his head with a smile, causing both boys to sigh in relief. "Yes! Great job, Pikachu!" Ash complimented. Iris and Cilan soon came over, as the girl asked in worry.

"Is the Egg alright?" Iris asked. "Mm hm! It's fine!" Ash answered. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu smirked. He placed the Egg gently on the ground, while at the time, both Cilan and Iris were relieved to know about it.

"Pikachu, thanks!" Iris thanked. "Pika!" Pikachu replied with a nod. "I'm sorry, Ash." Iris apologized, feeling bad about it. "Axew..." Even Axew felt sorry for causing a bit of trouble. "Aw, don't worry about it! Besides, the Egg is safe!" Ash assured.

Takeru wasn't so sure about it as he glanced at Iris with a serious look. "Just keep a look out on Axew when he's around, will you?" Takeru requested. "Yeah... Right... I'll keep that in mind." Iris laughed nervously.

"Thank goodness nothing went wrong, though..." Cilan chuckled in relief. Just then, the Egg on the ground, and the Egg on Takeru's arms were both starting to glow! Everyone were amazed as they watched closer.

"Look! It's about to hatch!" Cilan pointed out. "Oh wow... I'm so psyched!" Iris admitted. "Axew ew!" Axew agreed. With the two Eggs brightening and darkening several times, the two then glowed brightly at the same time!

Two Pokémon were born. Ash's Pokémon Egg became a lizard-like Pokémon. It's teeth were exposed and its body were nearly all dark golden and light brown. It had loose skin as it held onto it, like a large trouser.

Takeru's Pokémon Egg formed a fox-like Pokémon. It's fur were all dark, sparing the blue eyes. Parts of its fur, like on the ears and paws were red and black, with a ruff of black fur around its neck.

Everyone were amazed to see such Pokémon, while Cilan was intrigued and amazed to see the two. "Oh wow! It's a Scraggy and a Zorua!" Cilan exclaimed. "Scraggy and Zorua? That's what they're called?" Ash asked.

Ash took out his Pokédex and scanned Scraggy, while Takeru scanned Zorua with his Unova Pokédex.

_ "Scraggy, the Shedding Pokémon. The lower half of Scraggy's body is covered by a tough rubbery skin and when someone makes eye contact it responds with Headbutt."_ Ash's Pokédex buzzed.

_"Zorua, the Tricky Fox Pokémon. Zorua hides its true form by changing its shape into people__ and Pokémon, and loves to surprise people."_ Takeru's Pokédex buzzed. Zorua yawned a little, feeling a bit sleepy from hatching.

"Hi there, Zorua. Nice to meet you. My name is Takeru. This is Riolu here." Takeru explained, introducing Riolu and himself. Zorua blinked before she snickered lightly, leaving Riolu confused as he blinked.

"I'm Ash! Nice to meet you, Scraggy!" Ash greeted. "Scraggy!" The Shedding Pokémon responded. It seemed to have already gotten used to its new trainer. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu greeted happily, seeing Scraggy.

But, just then, Scraggy made a dark glare to Pikachu, much to his surprise and confusion. Cilan blinked, seeing the move. "It's a Leer! What do you know!" Cilan exclaimed, seeing the glaring move.

For Zorua, she let out another snicker. She flipped backwards in the air, looking like she's transforming into something! The Tricky Fox Pokémon, had actually become a Riolu! "What!?" "Huh!?" Takeru and Iris gasped.

_"H-Huh!? You're... me!?"_ Riolu shrieked in startle. The fake Riolu snickered as it flipped backwards again, turning back to normal. "Come on, Zorua. What was that for?" Takeru asked in a scolding tone while folding his arms.

Seeing her new trainer scold at her, Zorua pouted, giving a puppy face, trying to look innocent. But, to her surprise, Takeru sighed, not taking her act. "Not to break it to you, but I'm not falling for your trick." Takeru muttered.

Zorua blinked in shock, before she grinned secretly, interested in the Nuvema boy for noticing her tricks so well. "Wow... You know when someone's tricking you, do you?" Iris asked, feeling amazed for Takeru's perspective as well.

"I learned it from Profeesor Juniper you see, when I was younger. If I think that someone is lying about something, I could catch that liar very easily, by the looks of their expression." Takeru explained. Iris could only say 'wow' to that.

For Scraggy, the Shedding Pokémon aimed his head and tried to hit his head onto Pikachu, only for the Electric Type to dodge, causing the Headbutt to miss! "That was Headbutt!" Cilan pointed out.

Zorua blinked to see Scraggy missing his Headbutt as she let out a small snicker. Ash was confused of how Scraggy moved. "Why did it do that?" Ash asked, confused. "Yeah! What did it do that for?" Iris asked.

"Ew..." Axew replied, not understanding the Dark-Fighting Type's reasons as well. Takeru chuckled nervously as Zorua snickered again, getting his attention. "What is it?" Takeru asked. Zorua once again flipped, transforming into another shape!

It became a Pikachu! "PIKA!?" Pikachu yelped in shock, seeing that the Tricky Fox Pokémon had turned into his shape. "Whoa! Now Zorua is a Pikachu now!" Ash exclaimed in shock, which seemed to have surprised Scraggy as well.

Zorua as Pikachu snickered before she changed back into her original form. "Well, that's no surprise! Since Zorua is known as the Tricky Fox Pokémon, she can change into many kinds of Pokémon, especially humans as well!" Cilan explained.

"Wait, people too?" Iris asked, startled. Zorua snickered and responded by flipping backwards, forming into Iris! "HUH!? You're me!?" Iris shrieked, backing away in surprise. "AX!?" Even Axew was shocked to see two Iris at the same time.

"Whoa... Now that's what I call strategy..." Ash commented in amazement. "It's NOT strategy when you're just like me!" Iris retorted, causing Zorua to snicker before she flipped back into her original form.

Takeru blinked, before he chuckled a little. "Ha ha ha..." Takeru laughed, causing Zorua to smirk, seeing how she made at least one human impressed and one human smiling at her crafty trick.

"Wha!? Takeru, not you too!" Iris complained. "Sorry... It's just Zorua is cute and tricky at the same time, it just wants to make me smile, is all..." Takeru apologized as Riolu snickered as well in agreement.

_"I think so too, big bro..."_ Riolu admitted. At the statement, Zorua grew confused on why Riolu would call Takeru big bro when he's a human, and not a Lucario or a Riolu. She then shook it off, before smiling in trickery.

For Scraggy, he suddenly grew frustrated as Ash cleared his throat. He turned to the Shedding Pokémon with an obvious question in mind. "So why did you just use Headbutt? Does that mean you want to battle?" Ash asked.

At the question, Scraggy grew startled with the question before he leered at Pikachu, startling it a little. That seemed to be enough for Ash as he smiled. "Great! Have a battle with Scraggy as a welcome gift, Pikachu!" Ash suggested.

"Pika!?" Pikachu exclaimed in disbelief. Takeru turned to Zorua with the same question. "Do you want to battle as well, Zorua?" Takeru asked. But his question was already answered as Zorua was fast asleep, snoring on his lap.

Riolu blinked, before pouting a little, feeling jealous of where the Tricky Fox Pokémon was sleeping. "I guess not... Let's just watch, Riolu." The Nuvema boy called. _"Alright..."_ Riolu sighed, still jealous of Zorua.

So, with the two sides all ready to go, Pikachu and Scraggy faced off against each other for battle. Ash took out his Pokédex, looking over Scraggy's attacks. "Now, let's see what moves Scraggy can use..." Ash replied.

_"Scraggy's moves are... Leer and Headbutt..."_ Ash's Pokédex buzzed. Takeru took out his Pokédex to look over Zorua's moves as well. "What about Zorua?" Takeru asked, as he held Zorua in his left arm, while holding the Pokédex in his right hand.

_"Zorua's moves are... Scratch and Leer..."_ Takeru's Pokédex buzzed. Iris was most confused and surprised at this. "What? That's it?" Iris asked. Ash turned to Iris with a reminder for Axew.

"Well, Axew only knows Scratch and Dragon Rage. It's the same thing!" Ash reminded. Iris laughed nervously at that. "Well... I guess you're right!" Iris giggled. The Nuvema boy sweat dropped at that, not getting Iris at all.

"Also, remember! Both Scraggy and Zorua have just hatched!" Cilan reminded. "Okay... There we go! Scraggy, use Leer!" Ash called. Scraggy ran forward and got close to Pikachu, while creating a dark menacing face to the Electric Type.

Pikachu at first shirked back a little, before he blinked in confusion. Ash was confused as Cilan pointed it out. "It doesn't look like it did a thing!" Cilan stated. Takeru frowned as the Kanto trainer cried out the next attack.

"Alright! Scraggy, use Headbutt, next!" Ash called. This time, the Shedding Pokémon slammed its head onto Pikachu's stomach, causing Pikachu to flinch a little, before he immediately recovered, looking at the spot where he was hit.

The four trainers all blinked in surprise, seeing that it had no effect. "It doesn't seem to be doing anything... Okay, Pikachu! Counterattack! Use Thunderbolt, let's go!... Maybe more like a Thunder-burp." Ash called.

Pikachu nodded as he shot little electricity from his fingers, which started and zapped Scraggy. The Shedding Pokémon yelped in pain as he fell back, causing the others to gasp in surprise. "Oh no, Scraggy! Are you okay!?" Ash called.

Immediately after he asked, Scraggy got up, stomping around angrily. "Scraggy still seems raring to go!" Cilan pointed out as Takeru chuckled. "I guess it has a bit of similar personality with Ash..." Takeru guessed.

For the Kanto trainer, he was amazed with the persistence that his new Pokemon had. "Yeah! Scraggy is up for a battle even with a hit like that! My kind of Pokémon!" Ash exclaimed with a grin. But for Iris, she wasn't sure about this.

"You know what? It looks like your little brother is kind of a pain while your little sister is a bit shy and quiet." Iris sighed. "Axew..." Axew sighed, getting what Iris was saying. But for Ash, he seemed to be okay with this.

He sent out his entire team out in order to greet Scraggy. Takeru did the same, sending his other three Pokémon out in order for them to meet Zorua. "Come on out, everybody!" Ash called. "We have a new friend with us now!" Takeru called.

Ash's Tepig, Snivy, Pidove, and Oshawott appeared, getting ready to greet Scraggy. Takeru's Tepig, Tranquill, and Joltik came out, all getting ready to greet Zorua. Ash said his introduction first, before Takeru did his.

"I want you all to meet our newest friend! So, meet Scraggy!" Ash explained. Tepig, Snivy, Pidove, and Oshawott all cried their greetings, saying hello to the Shedding Pokémon. The Nuvema boy then introduced Zorua.

The Dark Type was still sleeping in his arms as Takeru looked at his three other Pokémon. "Everyone, I'd like you to meet our new teammate and friend, Zorua!" Takeru explained. His three Pokémon all cheered to meet their new friend at that.

_"Be careful, though... She can be quite tricky..." _Riolu warned, causing Tepig to blink in confusion, Tranquill to cock his head in confusion, while Joltik blinked several times in curiosity. At that moment, Zorua woke up, yawning loudly.

She blinked, before she saw the Pokémon surrounding her new trainer. "Zorua, I want you to meet your newest friends!" Takeru explained. Zorua blinked, before she smirked, and snickered. She first walked up to Tepig, who said his greeting.

"Tep Tepig!" Tepig cried, grinning at the Tricky Fox Pokémon. Zorua let out a snicker before she flipped, turning into the shape of Tepig, shocking the Fire Type. "Tep!?" Tepig yelped, before Zorua changed back to her usual form.

Zorua winked at Tepig playfully, as the Fire Type blushed, chuckling nervously in embarrassment. Zorua then walked up to Tranquill, who spread his wings, amazing Zorua as she transformed into the Wild Pigeon Pokémon.

Tranquill blinked, also surprised to see that the Tricky Fox Pokémon could change into his form as well. Zorua then used the form to show off her wings, as she was amazed on how they looked. She then snickered, before turning back to her own form.

Tranquill smirked, seeing how curious Zorua was as he gave a pat on Zorua's back with one of his wings. Zorua grinned before she looked down to see Joltik, who jumped up and down happily to see a new teammate on their side.

The little Dark Type used her paw to touch Joltik, who only to get a little static shock, causing her to blink before she snickered once again happily. "Zor..." Zorua giggled, while happy at the same time to get some new friends.

Cilan noticed this and smiled. "Well, well! It looks like Zorua is already getting well with her new teammates and friends!" Cilan chuckled. "Sure... But, what about Scraggy?" Iris asked, turning back from Zorua to Scraggy.

Takeru and his five Pokémon watched as Ash's other Pokémon tried to greet Scraggy with warm welcomes. Pidove went first, chirping happily to Scraggy, until the Shedding Pokémon used Headbutt! Pidove squealed before she flew off.

The Kanto trainer and Pikachu sweat dropped, seeing how this worked. "That's wasn't what I meant..." Ash nervously chuckled. "Pika..." Pikachu agreed. Cilan, Iris, and Takeru all sweat dropped as well. "I highly doubt that Pidove was expecting a Headbutt!" Cilan reminded.

Riolu sighed, shrugging. _"Will Scraggy be always like this?"_ Riolu asked, tugging onto his human brother's pants. "I don't know, Riolu. This could be just a habit of his." Takeru sighed, shrugging along with a sigh.

Next, it was Oshawott's turn. The Sea Otter Pokémon tried to greet Scraggy, until he got himself a Leer, before a Headbutt! The Water Type yelped before he angrily grew a tantrum, forcing Pikachu, Riolu, and Ash's Tepig to move him away.

But with much anger inside him, Oshawott knocked the others away, hoping to get a quick revenge on Scraggy. However, at that moment, Scraggy used Headbutt, knocking his scalchop away from his stomach!

Oshawott yelped as the scalchop landed a feet in front of him. The Shedding Pokémon smirked as he put his foot on the scalchop. Oshawott glared as he got the scalchop back. He then slashed Scraggy away with a Razor Shell!

"Huh!? Oh no!" Iris gasped. Axew covered his eyes as Scraggy staggered back to Ash, with the Kanto trainer being worried. "Um, are you okay?" Ash asked, frowning. "Pikachu?" The Electric Type asked along.

But, at that moment, Scraggy knocked Ash back unintentionally as he tried to run for Oshawott. Ash yelped as he fell back, rubbing his chin at the same time. "Hey, Scraggy!?" Ash called, trying to call Scraggy back.

But, it didn't work as Scraggy punched Oshawott weakly, as the Water Type sweat dropped, seeing that it was very weak. Once the punch was done, Oshawott shot a Water Gun, as Scraggy held up his rubbery skin to block it.

The Water Gun made the hit, causing Scraggy to skid towards Ash's Tepig, while taking little damage. Takeru blinked, seeing that s how the Shedding Pokémon could defend. "That rubber skin..." Takeru whispered, thinking it over.

Ash got back up, rubbing his chin a little. "So THAT'S how Scraggy defends!" Ash exclaimed. But then, for Tepig, the little Fire Type got the same problem as Scraggy used Headbutt on him as well, much to his startle.

Takeru and his four Pokémon sighed, while Zorua blinked, before whimpering. It seemed certain that she didn't like violence, or Scraggy, since he headbutts any innocent Pokémon. Ash groaned, seeing how bad Scraggy was going.

"Scraggy is attacking everything in sight!" Ash points out, as Cilan sighed. "I have to agree..." Cilan replied, making his thoughts. Takeru and Iris frowned together, as the girl noticed something about the Shedding Pokémon.

"Spirit is a good thing, but..." Iris started, as Cilan pointed out Scraggy's recoil. "I don't think it seems to matter right now! Look at him! Scraggy is looking very dizzy as of now!" Cilan explained as Ash blinked in surprise.

_"It must be due to all those Headbutts it gave out, big bro..."_ Riolu grunted, pointing at the stars in the Shedding Pokémon's eyes. "You can say that again... I don't know how much that crazy Pokémon can take without a headache..." Takeru sighed.

Iris and Axew both giggled together, seeing how silly the Dark-Fighting Type was acting. "Mm hm hm hm! That's funny!" Iris giggled. "Axew ew!" Axew agreed, chuckling along. Zorua whimpered again, as the Nuvema boy noticed.

"Zorua? Are you scared?" Takeru asked. Zorua blinked, before she gave a nod. Takeru smiled softly and rubbed Zorua's head with care, causing her to growl in content before she fell back asleep on his arms. Iris noticed this and giggled.

"Aw, look at Zorua! She seems to like you very much, Takeru!" Iris pointed out, causing the Nuvema boy to smile. "I can see that. She probably doesn't like to battle, or it's that she doesn't like Scraggy's behavior..." Takeru guessed.

"I would think it's both..." Cilan chuckled as he scratched his head a little. Back to Scraggy, everyone noticed that Scraggy regained control of himself, before he spotted Snivy. He charged with another Headbutt, only for him to hit a rock!

Snivy gracefully got out of the way, causing Iris to gasp. "Huh?! No!" Iris shrieked, seeing how that could've hurt. Axew covered his eyes, as Riolu groaned a little, while shaking his head in disappointment.

Scraggy wobbled around, getting dizzy for hitting a rock. But, to everyone's surprise, he kept on running, attempting to use Headbutt at Snivy again! The Grass Type sighed as she used Vine Whip, blocking Scraggy from getting any closer!

The Shedding Pokémon tried to rush towards Snivy, but it was no good. Snivy did a good job on blocking Scraggy from moving any closer to her. She gave a sigh as Scraggy had finally given up on her. Ash ran over, trying to care for his newborn Pokémon.

"Don't you think you've done enough for now?" Ash asked, frowning. But, to his shock, Scraggy knocked him away with Headbutt unintentionally, as he glared around to see who to face off against next, until he spotted Axew.

Axew yelped before he hid inside Iris' hair once again, preventing Scraggy from seeing him, which caused the Dark-Fightin Type to turn away, uninterested in Iris now. Takeru gave a deep sigh, seeing how things weren't going well for Ash.

**That evening...**

The group were having dinner while Ash's Pokémon, Takeru's Pokémon, and Axew were having their Pokémon food for dinner. For Zorua, she seemed to be enjoying the food, because she was nearly devouring the whole food on her bowl!

She seemed to be getting pretty well with the other Pokémon, other than when she pulls tricks by changing into one of them, creating a huge surprise for them. "Looks like Zorua is enjoying your Pokémon food, Cilan." Takeru pointed out.

The Connoisseur smiled and saw how Zorua was enjoying the food he made. "Right! I made that kind of Pokémon food especially for Dark Type Pokémon, like Zorua there!" Cilan explained. "I see... I guess that explains why Zorua enjoys it so much!" Takeru chuckled.

Iris giggled along, until they all noticed Ash walking towards Scraggy. The Shedding Pokémon didn't seem to want to eat with the other Pokémon as the Kanto trainer tried to convince his new Pokémon to eat with the others.

"Scraggy? Why don't you come over and eat with the gang?" Ash asked, but to no avail, as Scraggy climbed to the higher level of the rock, not wanting to eat with the other Pokémon. This caused the group to frown.

"I haven't got the foggiest idea what Scraggy is thinking!" Iris admitted while frowning. "Perhaps Scraggy was in shock that it was beaten by Ash's other Pokémon!" Cilan guessed. Takeru blinked before turning to Cilan.

"You mean when Pikachu shocked Scraggy with a Thunderbolt, and when Snivy stopped Scraggy from getting any closer to her?" Takeru asked, as Cilan nodded. "That could be it..." Cilan responded, as Ash asked the same question.

"Is that true, Scraggy?" Ash asked. Scraggy scoffed and looked up, while Zorua and Axew looked at their fellow Pokémon friend. Axew could only watch as Zorua turned her head away, annoyed by the Shedding Pokémon's behavior.

**That night...**

It was finally night, as Scraggy finally came out of the rocks, as he began to eat his Pokémon food now, causing Ash to be relieved. "Great! Scraggy is finally eating his Pokémon food now!" Ash pointed out with a grin. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu agreed.

Takeru, Iris, and Cilan looked up as the Nuvema boy put the Tricky Fox Pokémon to sleep on his lap. "Now, if only Scraggy would eat with everyone else..." Iris sighed, not knowing of what to do. "Axew ew!" Axew replied along.

When it seems as Scraggy was full, Ash took out Scraggy's Pokéball, preparing to call him back. "Okay, Scraggy! It's about time to get inside your Pokéball!" Ash explained. Scraggy blinked in surprise before he took off, hiding behind a rock.

The Kanto trainer gasped in surprise as he asked the Shedding Pokémon. "Wh-What? You don't want to?" Ash asked. At the question, Scraggy shook his head with annoyance, proving Ash's questions and thoughts to be true.

"Maybe Scraggy wants to stay out, just because it just hatched!" Cilan guessed. Takeru chuckled, before he looked at his sleeping Zorua. "I'm feeling Zorua might feel the same." Takeru added as Riolu yawned.

_"So, is Zorua going to sleep with us?"_ Riolu yawned as the Nuvema boy nodded. "Yes, she will. It's the least we could do for her since she just hatched, just like with Scraggy." Takeru answered, causing Riolu to smile sleepily.

"Okay... That makes sense. Good night, big bro." Riolu said as he tucked into Takeru's sleeping bag, as both the Nuvema boy and Zorua joined in. It seemed to fit perfectly for the three as Takeru smiled back. "Good night, Riolu... Zorua..." Takeru yawned.

He and his two Pokémon were soon asleep as the others chuckled. Soon, Ash, Pikachu, Iris, Axew, and Cilan were all asleep now, except Scraggy who stared up at the bright moon, seeing how brightly it shined.

Later, as time passed, Zorua yawned cutely, before she blinked several times to see Scraggy looking at the moon. She noticed Axew peering out as well. Both Pokémon glanced at each other, before they noticed that Scraggy nearly spotted them.

They both got back into the sleeping bags before they peeked their heads out again. As they got back out, Scraggy was missing! Both Zorua and Axew panicked as they tried to call for the Shedding Pokémon, only to get no answer.

Axew cried out to Iris, while Zorua licked Takeru's forehead several times, both trying to wake their trainers up. Zorua even nudged Riolu on the forehead as well, waking the both of them up. Takeru and Iris yawned, turning to their little Pokémon.

"What, Axew? What's wrong?" "Zorua? Did something happen?" Iris and Takeru asked together. Riolu yawned, before seeing his new little sister. _"What's going on, Zorua?"_ Riolu asked along.

Both Axew and Zorua cried out their explanations, but it was enough to make Iris and Takeru understand, along with a Riolu. "What!? You mean Scraggy is gone!?" "No way... That can't be!" Iris and Takeru gasped together.

They both blinked before they laughed nervously together. They then stood up together, waking Ash, Pikachu, and Cilan up. "Guys, wake up!" "Ash, this is an emergency!" The two called. At this, Ash and Cilan both woke up, along with Pikachu.

"Ngh... What's up?" Ash asked, yawning. "Pika?" Pikachu asked along. "Ash! Scraggy is gone!" Iris exclaimed. The sudden news left both Ash and Cilan surprised, along with Pikachu. "Gone!? You're kidding!" Ash exclaimed.

So, within the past few minutes, the four trainers searched around for Scraggy, with Pikachu, Riolu, Axew, and Zorua. "Scraggy!" Cilan called. "Hey, Scraggy! Where are you!?" Ash called out loud.

"Pika Pika!" Pikachu called along. "En! En en!" Zorua cried, calling for Scraggy. "Come on out, Scraggy!" Takeru called. _"Where are you, Scraggy!? Answer us!" _Riolu barked out loud, hoping to get an answer.

Unfortunately, there was none, until Axew found something. "Ax! Axew ew!" Axew cried, pointing at a track. Everyone looked down to see a track leading towards a giant tree. "Whoa! Those are Scraggy's footprints! Let's follow them!" Ash called.

Everyone agreed as they followed the footprints. As they got closer, they heard head-butting noises, which was coming from the bigger tree ahead! They all know who was doing the Headbutt as they all ran towards the Headbutt sound.

To be continued...

**Takeru's Team:**

**Riolu: (M): (Force Palm, Blaze Kick, ThunderPunch, Dig)**

**Joltik: (M): (Electro Ball, Electroweb, String Shot, Signal Beam)**

**Tranquill: (M): (Air Cutter, Gust, Roost, Aerial Ace)**

**Tepig: (M): (Flamethrower, Smog, Flame Charge, Rollout)**

**Zorua: (F): (Scratch, Leer, ?, ?)**

Next chapters:

**Chapter 34: Go Scraggy and Zorua!? Double Trouble!**

**Chapter 35: The Sewaddle Gets Us Lost!**

**Chapter 36: The Grass Guardian Protects the One!?**

**Chapter 37: A Connoisseuse!? Or a Fraud!?**

**Chapter 38: Cilan VS Burgundy! It's Evaluation Time!**

**Next chapter preview:**

Iris: Okay... I admit it. This is really getting out of hand! First Zorua likes to change into one of us, and Scraggy likes to hit things! What's the big deal!?

Cilan: No need to get all worked up. Remember, they've just hatched, so it may take some time to get used to their tricks and rashness.

Ash: What the!? Scraggy and Zorua are missing!? And what are those Pokémon attacking those two!?

Takeru: Galvantula... Joltik can evolve into that! Hey! Stop right there! Leave Zorua and Scraggy alone right now!

Ash: Everyone, quick! Protect Scraggy and Zorua! Let's make an all-out attack!

Iris: Wait... Is it just me, or Scraggy, Zorua, and Axew are rivals now? They're planning to make a triangle battle!


	34. Go Scraggy and Zorua? Double Trouble!

**Chapter 34: Go Scraggy and Zorua!? Double Trouble!**

Last time on "Pokémon Unova Journey", while making their way to Castelia City for Ash and Takeru's third Gym battle, the group stops to rest for a moment, until they discover that Ash and Takeru's Eggs started glowing, revealing that they were about to hatch soon!

With a bit of problem cleared out of the way, the Eggs hatched into two new Pokémon. Ash's new Pokémon was a Scraggy, while Takeru's new Pokémon is a Zorua. Both seemed to be full of mischief until Takeru cleared Zorua's mischief away.

Scraggy was more into battling as it challenged both Pikachu and Oshawott, only to be defeated by the two, and to be stopped by Snivy so easily. With the frustration in his mind, a Scraggy refused to join the other Pokémon in lunch, much to Ash's concern.

But then, while the group was sleeping for the night, Zorua and Axew woke up, only to see that the Shedding Pokémon was gone! They woke their trainers up, followed by Ash and Cilan, as they all searched for Scraggy, until they found his tracks.

What is Scraggy doing in the middle of night? And what will happen if the group reunites with him?

"Pika Pika!" Pikachu called along. "En! En en!" Zorua cried, calling for Scraggy. "Come on out, Scraggy! Can you hear us!?" Takeru called. _"Where are you, Scraggy!? Answer us!" _Riolu barked out loud, hoping to get an answer.

Unfortunately, there was none, until Axew found something. "Ax! Axew ew!" Axew cried, pointing at a track. Everyone looked down to see a track leading towards a giant tree. "Whoa! Those are Scraggy's footprints! Let's follow them!" Ash called.

Everyone agreed as they followed the footprints. As they got closer, they heard head-butting noises, which was coming from the bigger tree ahead! They all realized on who could be doing the Headbutt attack as they all ran towards the Headbutt sound.

Pas they got there, they saw the Shedding Pokémon, head butting himself onto a large tree! Ash widened his eyes as he tried to call for his Fighting-Dark Type. "Hey, Scraggy! What are you doing over there!?" Ash called. "Pikachu?" Pikachu called along.

His voice and Pikachu's caused a startle for Scraggy, as he turned around in surprise. Suddenly, something came out of the tree, flashing itself with electricity, creating another surprise for Scraggy! "Ah!? A Galvantula!" Iris gasped, as Takeru widened his eyes.

"That's a Pokémon that can evolve into Joltik!" Takeru pointed out. Zorua shrieked, snuggling into Takeru's chest, as Riolu clung onto the Nuvema boy's shoulders. Axew hid inside Iris' hair in fright. Ash took out his Pokédex, scanning the EleSpider Pokémon. "Galvantula..." Ash repeated.

_"Galvantula, the EleSpider Pokémon. Galvantula attacks its prey by shooting electrically-charged threads and its front mandibles can hold down opponents."_ Ash's Pokédex buzzed. Cilan grew stern, knowing how much damage a Galvantula could do.

"This is bad!" Cilan grunted. "If Scraggy gets bitten by Galvantula..." Iris started, only for Ash to grit his teeth. "Argh... Scraggy!" Ash yelled. He ran after his Shedding Pokémon, with Pikachu running at his side. "Ash, wait!" Takeru yelled as he ran after him.

_"Scraggy, look out! It's dangerous!"_ "En! En!" Riolu and Zorua yelled. Scraggy could only back away slowly, a bit frightened of the EleSpider Pokémon. "Hey, Scraggy!" Ash yelled, as he tried to run for his Shedding Pokémon. Scraggy still grew frightened before he shook his head.

He used Leer onto Galvantula, which seemed to have no effect. Scraggy then jumped for a Headbutt attack, aiming it towards Galvantula! "Scraggy, no!" Ash, Iris, and Takeru yelled. "You can't win!" Cilan exclaimed in shock. But, it was already too late for Scraggy.

The wild Galvantula shot an Electro Ball, zapping Scraggy, much to his shock and surprise. "Axew!" _"Oh no!" _"En!" Axew, Riolu, and Zorua all gasped together. Then, the Galvantula shot an Electro Web attack, zapping Scraggy once again, inflicting more pain.

The EleSpider Pokémon then shot a Pin Missile, blasting Scraggy away. Ash caught his newborn Pokémon and gasped. "Scraggy, no!" Ash exclaimed. Before he could do anything, the Galvantula shot another Electro Ball, as both Takeru and Ash tried to counter.

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt, let's go!" "Tepig, use Flamethrower on Galvantula!" Ash and Takeru yelled. The Nuvema boy sent out his Fire Type out, who shot a Flamethrower at Galvantula, combining with Pikachu's Thunderbolt, creating a direct hit for the EleSpider Pokémon.

Galvantula grunted in pain as it scurried out of sight, heading back inside the tree for cover. As it was gone, Ash held his injured Shedding Pokémon. "Hey, Scraggy. You okay?" Ash asked. "Scraggy..." The Dark-Fighting Type groaned as Takeru frowned.

"He took multiple direct hits, from Electro Ball, Electroweb, and then a Pin Missile attack? There's no way he could've stand up to all of that..." Takeru pointed out. Cilan agreed as he walked over. "Scraggy took a direct hit from Galvantula..." The Connoisseur added.

"Poor Scraggy..." Iris replied, feeling bad for the Shedding Pokémon. Trying to act tough, Scraggy tried to jump after Galvantula, only to be stopped by his injuries, Riolu, and Zorua. "Scraggy, stop it!" Ash called. "En! En en!" Zorua scolded, as Riolu sighed.

_"You can't fight with all the damage you took. You have to rest up..." _Riolu reminded. Scraggy groaned, before his injuries kicked up once again, making his condition feel worse. "Cilan, is there a Pokémon Center near here?" Ash asked, feeling desperate.

"Let me see... I'm afraid not..." Cilan answered, checking his Town Map device. "Iris?" Takeru asked, turning to the girl. Iris nodded back with a smile. "Leave it to me. I'm going to go find some herbs that can cure the paralysis!" Iris declared. "That's great." Ash thanked.

"Let's go, Axew!" Iris called. So, with that said, Iris ran off with Axew to find herbs that can cure paralysis. Zorua whimpered as she tried to follow, until Takeru noticed her. "You want to help Scraggy, too?" Takeru asked. "En..." Zorua replied with a sad nod.

"I understand. Let's go together, then. Coming, Riolu?" Takeru called. "Oh! Sure, big bro..." Riolu replied with a bark. So, the three followed Iris, as they all tried to find some herbs. Ash and Cilan could only watch, with Pikachu and Scraggy at their side.

As the two trainers and their three Pokémon looked around the bushes, Zorua came out of one bush with a flower in her mouth. "En! En!" Zorua cried with a muffled voice. Iris turned and smiled brightly. "That's just what we need! Way to go, Zorua!" Iris giggled.

Axew and Riolu both grew amazed as Zorua smiled brightly for her discovery. "Alright... Now we just need to find some herbs that can cure the paralysis... Just the flower isn't enough..." Takeru reminded. "Right!" _"Okay..."_ "Axew!" Iris, Riolu, and Axew agreed.

**Later...**

Takeru and Iris both managed to find some herbs, along with their three Pokémon, allowing Iris to make the medicine for the paralyzed Shedding Pokémon. Cilan made a new fire, with the help of Takeru's Tepig. Ash stayed near Scraggy if anything had happened.

Meanwhile, the Nuvema boy and Iris mixed together the herbs in order to create the medicine to cure paralysis. Once it was done, Iris held the two bowls. "It's ready!" Iris exclaimed. "Axew!" "En!" Axew and Zorua exclaimed together.

Takeru and Riolu nodded together, both realizing that Scraggy will be fine now. They all walked over to the Shedding Pokémon, with the medicine in hand. "Here... This will make Scragfy feel better!" Iris explained. The Kanto trainer nodded as he took the spoon.

He got some of the medicine on the spoon and offered it to the Dark-Fighting Type Pokémon's mouth. "Hey, Scraggy? Down the hatch." Ash called. Knowing what his trainer meant, Scraggy opened his mouth, eating and swallowing the medicine he needed to take.

"And this will make you feel better!" Iris assured. Bravely enough, Scraggy gulped up another spoonful of medicine, this time offered by Iris. Once he swallowed it, he stuck his tongue out, seeing how bitter it tasted like. Ash smiled at how his Pokémon took the medicine so easily.

"Great. Way to go!" Ash complimented. He gave his sick Pokémon some water, making the medicine take its effect. "I'm sure that all Scraggy will need is a good night rest. He should be fully recovered by morning." Takeru assured with a soft smile on his face.

"Scraggy... Sleep well, okay?" Ash asked. "Ew ew..." Axew called, trying to soothe his friend's feelings. Zorua and Riolu only watched as Scraggy nodded off, before going back to sleep. The Shedding Pokémon slept peacefully, much to the others' relief.

Soon after, the four trainers went back to sleep, all believing that Scraggy will be fully recovered.

**Dream**

**Takeru's POV**

Where... am I? My eyes open, to see that I'm surrounded, standing on a white ground. It wasn't snow, and it wasn't land, too. It was more like... clouds... I was standing on clouds... But to be honest, I wasn't really surprised or shocked for some reason.

All I know was, I've been summoned here by someone. I looked around, to see electricity and lightning striking everywhere in the clouds. That would mean... Only one living being was able to summon me here... That being is... Ah... It can't be! Can it!?

"Are you the one that summoned me here? Zekrom?" I called out, saying the name loud and clear. A loud roar was heard, causing the thunderstorms to be wild, electricity zapping the clouds around me, like it was going out of control. I stayed calm, believing that it wouldn't hurt me.

_**"That is correct. It was I who summoned you here, my child..."**_ A dark voice growled lowly. That voice... There was no doubt about it. The one who's speaking to me... is none other than Zekrom, the legendary Pokemon of Unova. One of the two legendary dragons.

I turned to face it. His eyes were stern and a bit cold, but it didn't look menacing. Much to my opinion, I believed that he was concerned about Unova, and the whole Pokémon world. We stared at each other for about a minute, until I broke the silence.

"Was it you? Was it you that spoke to me? On that day when I started my journey with Ash, Pikachu, and Riolu?" I inquired, while frowning at the same time. Zekrom let out a small growl, but it didn't seem to be threatening. He then answered with telepathy, speaking to me.

**_"That is correct. I spoke to you on that thunderstorm... You heard me roar, did you not? The time when I gave judgement to that Pikachu you speak of, my child."_ **Zekrom answered. That left me confused of what he just said just now.

My child? Why is he calling me that? I'm not his son... He's not my father... My father is Hibiki Yamada, a Trainer and a Professor who went missing. Before I could ask, the black dragon seemed to be reading my mind, because he knew what I was going to ask.

_**"You're wondering why I say you're my child? And you're wondering why I did the judgement on your human friend and his Pikachu?"**_ Zekrom asked, causing me to widen my eyes. I didn't ask, but nodded. "Yes... That's what I was going to ask." I answered back.

_**"If you plan to hear it... You must prepare yourself... For a harsh truth."**_ Zekrom warned. I narrowed my eyes at this. A harsh truth? Will it inflict pain on my emotions? I shook my head before I looked at the black dragon. "Tell me the truth, Zekrom..." I declared.

Zekrom let out a growl, sounding like he was impressed for my bravery of some sort._** "Very well... One part of the truth is... You're, a part... A part of me."**_ Zekrom started, causing me to widen my eyes. "A part of... you? What do you..." I started.

Suddenly, the dream started to fade away. I felt like I was about to fade away as well. "What... What's happening!?" I panicked as Zekrom let out a low roar. _**"It seems you're not ready to hear the full truth. Other than that, you're starting to wake up."**_ Zekrom answered.

"No! I won't wake! Not unless you tell me the truth! Zekrom, please tell me!" I pleaded. But, it was no use. Despite of my persistence to stay asleep and know the truth, Zekrom and the thundercloud landscapes disappeared, leaving me to wake up in reality. I could only hear someone calling my name.

**Reality**

**End POV**

"...keru? Takeru, wake up!" Ash's voice called. The Nuvema boy blinked his eyes several times, before looking up to see the Kanto trainer and his Electric Type looking down at him. "Mm...? Ash?" Takeru groaned as Iris and Cilan came over. Riolu and Zorua both yawned as well.

They seemed to have been sleeping with their trainer while the others were awake, other than Scraggy. "Morning, Takeru. Had a good sleep? Because when we tried to wake you, you didn't feel like waking up!" Cilan teased as the Nuvema boy blinked.

"Oh... I wouldn't say a good sleep... More like my body was asleep while my mind was still awake..." Takeru answered, shaking his head. "What do you mean by... Your body is asleep and your mind is awake?" Iris asked. Before Takeru could answer, there was a startled cry.

Everyone turned to see Scraggy finally waking up, much to everyone's relief. "Hey, Scraggy! Feel better now?" Ash asked with a chuckle. "Scraggy!" The Shedding Pokémon nodded in response. "That's great!" "Pika!" Ash and Pikachu chuckled together in relief.

"You look much better, too!" "Axew ew!" Iris and Axew added together. "You really gave us the scare last night, being attacked like that..." Takeru reminded with a scolding look as he changed into his traveling clothes. "En! En!" Zorua growled, glaring at Scraggy.

The Shedding Pokémon sweat dropped, as Riolu folded his arms. _"Just what were you doing out there in the first place, Scraggy?"_ Riolu asked in curiosity. Scraggy cocked his head, until Cilan cleared his throat. "Scraggy! Do you remember what happened yesterday?" Cilan asked.

Scraggy turned before he recalled what happened last night. The attacks he took from Galvantula without landing a single hit... It all came back to the Shedding Pokémon as he made an angry face, feeling humiliated for losing in a battle so easily!

"Then, Iris whipped you up some awesome medicine!" Ash added. "Axew, Zorua, and Riolu helped me and Takeru find the herbs!" Iris explained. "En!" "Axew!" _"Mm hm!"_ The three Pokémon agreed with smiles on their faces. Ash smiled and nodded.

"So... I think you should be thanking everyone, Scraggy!" Ash reminded, until the angry Shedding Pokémon jumped up and ran off. "Hey! It's almost time for breakfast, Scraggy! Where are you going!?" Ash called. Takeru frowned, guessing where Scraggy could be going.

He turned to his Emanation Pokémon for some assistance. "Keep an eye on Scraggy and see what happens..." Takeru whispered. _"Right!" _Riolu barked with a nod. He followed after the Shedding Pokémon. Both Axew and Zorua frowned, so they followed Riolu to where Scraggy was headed.

As the three little Pokémon followed the newborn Pokémon, what they saw was just the thing that Takeru guessed about. It was the same tree where the Galvantula had lived and Scraggy! And there was not just one, but about four or five of them! "AXEW!?" Axew shrieked.

Zorua began to shake, seeing that there wasn't just one giant spider to worry about. _"You... have got... to be kidding me..."_ Riolu gulped as he turned to the other two._ "We have to warn everyone else!"_ Riolu cried out. "Axew!" "En!" Axew and Zorua agreed together.

So, the three ran off, hoping to be able to save Scraggy with everyone else. Meanwhile, Scraggy glared at his incoming opponents, as the four Galvantulas glared at their little intruder. They weren't going to make this easy for the Shedding Pokémon now.

**Meanwhile...**

As Cilan, Ash, and Iris were preparing their breakfast, Takeru just stood by, holding the plates. He narrowed his eyes, remembering the vision he had before he awoke. Zekrom was... a part of him? But what could that mean? He frowned, until Iris walked up to him.

"Hello? Earth to Takeru? What are you doing, just standing around there for? Is something wrong?" Iris asked. Cilan and Ash stopped to hear the Nuvema boy say something as Takeru smiled weakly. "I guess... You could say that." Takeru answered, sighing.

"Well then, what seems to be the problem, Takeru?" Cilan asked. "Come on! You can tell us!" Ash assured. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu agreed. Iris nodded along as the Nuvema boy smiled back, before clearing his throat. "I... had a vision while I slept." Takeru started.

"A vision? What kind?" Cilan asked. "I had a vision... about Zekrom, the legendary Pokémon." Takeru answered nervously. That froze everyone into place as they let out a loud shocked outburst. "You had a dream about Zekrom!?" Ash, Cilan, and Iris yelled.

"Pika!?" Pikachu was shocked as well, causing the Nuvema boy to sweat drop. "I thought you'd all react to this... But, anyways... Yeah, I had a vision about Zekrom..." Takeru answered, making the Kanto trainer excited. "What did you see!? Come on, tell us!" Ash exclaimed.

He seemed excited to hear more about Zekrom, as Iris glared at him. "Ash! Calm down! He's trying to talk here! What a kid... Iris grumbled, much to Takeru's annoyance. "Thunderclouds... And I was standing on them... I felt like I was in Zekrom's world..." Takeru explained.

The others listened as the Nuvema boy continued. "Zekrom spoke to me... using telepathy. He confessed that he made judgement on Pikachu, the time when you arrived in the Unova region, Ash." Takeru explained as Ash and Pikachu looked at each other.

"Judgement? But for what?" Ash asked. "I don't know... All he said was judging a Pokémon... Then, he said something about being a part of me, like being a part of my true self." Takeru explained. "Being a part of you? What does that mean?" Iris asked, frowning.

"That's just what I was thinking. He was planning to say a truth... A harsh truth about me... Unfortunately, before I knew it, the dream had vanished, causing me to wake up... I believe it was your call that woke me up, Ash." Takeru explained, glancing at the Kanto trainer.

"Ah... ha ha ha..." Ash laughed nervously. Pikachu sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "A harsh truth..." Cilan repeated, thinking over it. "What could this all mean? Is Zekrom trying to give you a warning of some sort for the future?" Iris asked.

Before Takeru could answer back, Riolu, Axew, and Zorua let out frantic cries, running for the four trainers. Everyone turned to see the three panting with little exhaustion. "Whoa! Axew, Riolu, and Zorua? What happened!?" Ash asked in surprise.

Riolu was the first to answer, while panting. _"Scraggy... Galvantula... They're..." _Riolu panted as the Nuvema boy widened his eyes. "Galvantula!? Again!?" Takeru yelped in shock. Ash, Iris, and Cilan all widened their eyes in shock, knowing what this could mean.

Both Ash and Takeru took out their Pokéballs, throwing them into the air. Takeru's three Pokémon (Tranquill, Tepig, Joltik) and Ash's four Pokémon (Tepig, Snivy, Oshawott, Pidove) all appeared together, ready for their trainers' orders.

"Okay! Everyone! We've got to go help Scraggy!" Ash called. All seven of the Pokémon nodded and ran ahead, with the four trainers following from behind. They all hoped that they weren't too late to save their Shedding Pokémon friend.

Back to Scraggy, he was still glaring at his four opponents, refusing to back down. As for the four EleSpider Pokémon, they were angry to see the same foolish Shedding Pokémon once again. They all glared at Scraggy, preparing to attack at the same time.

The Shedding Pokémon attempted to imitate his opponents with his Leer and his Headbutt act, which didn't seem to work. To his surprise, one of the Electric-Bug Type Pokémon were coming down, attacking from above! Scraggy gasped, until a Thunderbolt zapped it.

"Pika Pika!" _"You've gone far enough, Galvantula!"_ Pikachu and Riolu's voices called out. The four Pokémon, along with Scraggy turned to see Ash, Iris, Takeru, and Cilan, standing with their eleven Pokémon with them, all ready to fight in battle.

Scraggy grew alarmed to see his friends, while the Galvantula were more angry. They prepared to fight as Ash called out to all the Pokémon. "Okay, everyone! Protect Scraggy!" Ash called. "That goes for you guys, too!" Takeru shouted along.

All of Ash and Takeru's Pokémon cried out their understandings before they faced off against the four EleSpider Pokémon. Two of them shot Electrowebs, until Pidove and Tranquill countered them with a double Air Cutter attack! The webs were destroyed, proven to be useless.

Another Galvantula shot an Electro Ball, which the two Tepigs countered, by launching a Flamethrower and an Ember attack. The three moves collided, creating an explosion. For the fourth, this one shot another Electroweb, as Oshawott countered back as well.

The Sea Otter Pokémon slashed the web with Razor She'll, rendering the Electroweb useless as of now. But suddenly, the same Galvantula came down, attempting to knock down the Water Type Pokémon! At that, Snivy used her quick and smart thinking, pulling Oshawott out of danger.

She used Vine Whip to throw the Water Type out of the enemy's target range. Riolu took this chance to use Dig, preparing a surprise attack, while Joltik distracted his evolved form with a String Shot attack, which was countered by another Electroweb!

Snivy sighed, before jumping into the air. She surrounded herself with leaves, preparing for a Leaf Storm attack. The powerful Grass Type move made a direct hit, pushing Galvantula away hard! Then, came the Dig attack, as the EleSpider Pokémon grunted in pain.

Once the four Electric-Bug Types were pushed into the same corner, Pikachu gave a small smirk. He shot a Thunderbolt attack, zapping the four EleSpider Pokémon once more. Not wanting to get attacked anymore, the four Electric-Bug Types all escaped into their home.

They crept under the trees to retreat, proving their defeat. As soon as they were gone, all the Pokémon sighed in relief, while Scraggy and Zorua both watched in amazement. For Zorua, she was amazed on how well her friends have fought in the battle.

As for Scraggy, the Shedding Pokémon was speechless, seeing hoe his new friends have saved him from trouble. "Scraggy! Scraggy!" Ash called. All the Pokémon turned to see the four trainers running over to the Dark-Fighting Type. "Scraggy! Are you okay?" Ash asked.

"Scrag!" Scraggy responded with a nod. "And you guys, thanks!" Ash thanked, feeling thankful for his five Pokémon. His Pokémon responded happily with nods and smiles on their faces. "Thanks for your help too, guys." Takeru thanked along, as Riolu, Tepig, Joltik, and Tranquill all nodded together.

The Kanto trainer knelt down to his newborn Pokémon's level with a stern look. "You know that you shouldn't be messing with that tree..." Ash scolded, until Cilan thought up a guess. "Maybe this was all about revenge!" Cilan guessed as the Nuvema boy sweat dropped.

"Well, considering the fact that Scraggy did seem agitated in the morning, that seems to be the obvious answer..." Takeru agreed. Iris sighed, relieved for Scraggy. "After all what happened, I'm just glad you're alright." Iris sighed, smiling. "Ew!" Axew cried with a smile.

The Shedding Pokémon sweat dropped in embarrassment as Zorua smiled in relief, seeing that her other friend was feeling well now. She gave a little yawn, before cuddling in her trainer's arms once again. Takeru smiled, seeing how affectionate Zorua was already.

"Hey, Scraggy. Let's all eat breakfast together! What do you say?" Ash suggested. Scraggy blinked in surprise with get offer, before he turned to the other Pokémon. All of Ash and Takeru's Pokémon smiled at their new friend, causing Scraggy to be touched and amazed.

So, with the offer asked, Scraggy accepted it. Soon, once the crisis was over, the group was back at their break area, having their breakfast. Scraggy was eating with the other Pokémon, but still grew a bit distant on them. Zorua was eating besides her new friends, easily getting along with them.

She showed the other Pokémon her ability to switch to different Pokémon, much to the other's amazement, while the four trainers watched with smiles on their faces. Axew turned to Scraggy, seeing that he was still eating by himself, despite the experience he had.

The little Drafon Type walked over to Scraggy with his bowl in his hands, as he tried to ask if he could eat with him. The Shedding Pokémon scoffed and turned away, annoyed with Axew's sudden appearance. Zorua stopped eating for a moment, as she noticed the tension between Axew and Scraggy.

"Axew! Axew Ax!" Axew called, trying to get Scraggy's attention again. But like before, Scraggy only scoffed, as he attempted to ignore the Dragon Type once again. This time, it offended Axew as he snapped angrily at Scraggy. The two glared at each other, head butting against each other.

"En! En en!" Zorua scolded, pushing her way between Axew and Scraggy. However, Axew's annoyance got a bit over him, causing him to slash Zorua away with Scratch! The little Dark Type squealed in pain as she rolled back to Takeru, much to his surprise.

"Zorua!? What..." Takeru yelped in surprise. Ash and Iris widened their eyes, as they looked at their Pokémon. "Stop it, Axew! You shouldn't fight!" Iris scolded. "She's right! Scraggy, you too!" Ash agreed. The two ran over to their Pokémon, trying to pry them apart.

Takeru ran over as well, until Cilan had an idea. "Say... I've got it! I just realized that Scraggy would be a perfect training partner for Axew!" Cilan declared. The others looked at the Connoisseur in surprise, until Scraggy seemed to get the battle challenge.

"That would be great! What do you think?" Ash asked. "Scraggy!" Scraggy replied with a nod. Iris smiled, looking down at her starter. "What do you say, Axew? Would you like to have a battle with Scraggy?" Iris asked. "Axew! Axew Axew! Ax!" Axew cheered.

"Hold it right there... Axew will have to face Zorua first!" Takeru reminded. The attention turned to the Nuvema boy as Takeru wasn't happy at all with both Iris and Axew. "Your Axew is the real pain here, Iris..." Takeru commented annoyingly, causing Iris to glare.

"What? What do you mean by that!? What did Axew do?" Iris asked. Takeru sweat dropped, realizing that she hasn't see what her Dragon Type did to Zorua. "Axew attacked Zorua as she was trying to break up a fight between him and Scraggy... That's what he did." Takeru explained.

The girl widened her eyes, as Axew gulped, before laughing nervously. Zorua wasn't impressed with Axew's expression as she scoffed, sticking her tongue out at Axew, causing him to be offended once again. Cilan then had another idea, making the situation much more easier.

"In that case, why don't you three have a triangle battle?" Cilan suggested. "A triangle battle?" Ash repeated in confusion. "You mean, in a three way battle..." Takeru replied. "You mean to say, the three of them would battle against each other at the same time?" Iris asked.

"Right! Since Zorua and Scraggy wants to battle Axew at the same time, I think a three way should be a perfect battle setup for the three!" Cilan explained. The girl sweat dropped, not liking where this was going. "Call me crazy, but this is going to be a long fight." Iris grumbled.

So, the group moved to a wider space, where the triangle battle would take place. Soon, the green trainers faced against each other, all preparing to battle. "Axew! You can do it!" Iris called. "Axew!" The Dragon Type grunted, feeling determined to win.

"All the way, Scraggy!" Ash called. Scraggy glared at both Zorua and Axew, ready to fight as well. "Don't let their tricks get to you, Zorua!" Takeru encouraged. "En!" Zorua yipped, narrowing her eyes in preparation. "And... begin!" Cilan called.

**Iris: Axew VS Takeru: Zorua VS Ash: Scraggy**

"Now, Scraggy! Use Leer on Axew!" Ash called. Scraggy ran up to the Tusk Pokémon, making a leer at it. Axew yelped as he backed away, until Takeru called out his attack. "Zorua! Pay Axew back with Leer as well!" Takeru called.

The Tricky Fox Pokémon leered at Axew as well, causing the defense to decrease once again! Axew whimpered as Iris glared at the two boys. "That's no fair! Axew can't handle two opponents at once!" Iris complained. But, Takeru ignored her, making his attack.

"Now, Zorua! Use Scratch on Scraggy!" Takeru shouted. Ash blinked in surprise as Zorua slashed Scraggy a bit, causing the Kanto trainer to complain. "What!? No fair! Scraggy, use Headbutt on Axew!" Ash cried. With Zorua dodging Headbutt, it actually landed on Axew!

The Dragon Type yelped in pain as he stumbled back. "You can't give up, Axew! Use Scratch on Scraggy!" Iris yelled. Axew jumped up and slashed Scraggy on the head several times, until the Nuvema boy interrupted. "Use Pursuit!" Takeru called.

Zorua jumped up, bashing Axew from behind, much to his shock. "Ah! Oh no, Axew!" Iris gasped. "That's how to do it! Now, Scraggy! You use Headbutt on Zorua now!" Ash yelled. Scraggy turned away from Axew and started to head for Zorua!

Zorua blinked, before she squealed, dodging Headbutt that was aimed for her. Cilan folded his arms in confusion. "Now they're all attacking at random, rather than attacking who they planned to attack..." Cilan pointed out. Pikachu and Riolu blinked as they watched carefullyl

"Now, Axew! Use Scratch on Zorua!" Iris called. The Tusk Pokémon attempted to slash Zorua now, as the Tricky Fox Pokémon blinked in surprise. "Dodge it, Zorua! Then, use Pursuit!" Takeru called. Once again, Zorua dodged the attack and bashed Axew to the ground.

"Ah! Axew, you can't give up! Use Scratch on Scraggy, once more!" Iris called. Axew quickly recovered as he aimed to slash Scraggy for a bit. The Shedding Pokémon took multiple damage until the Kanto trainer called for a counterattack. "Don't give up, Scraggy! Use Headbutt!" Ash yelled.

Recovering from the Scratch attacks, Scraggy slammed his head onto Axew, knocking it down once more. "Axew, no!" Iris gasped. "Zorua, use Scratch on Scraggy!" Takeru called. Like before, Zorua shot up into the air and slashed Scraggy, dealing some damage onto him.

Ash gasped, giving Iris the chance to strike back with her new move. "Alright, Axew! Use Dragon Rage, let's go!" Iris called. Both boys widened their eyes as Takeru gritted his teeth. "Get away from there, Zorua! Quickly!" Takeru called.

"Now, Scraggy! Use Headbutt on Axew!" Ash cried. While the Dark Type ran off to dodge Dragon Rage, Scraggy slammed into the Tusk Pokémon once again, causing the glowing orb inside Axew to explode! It exploded right onto both Axew and Scraggy, causing both Ash and Iris to gasp.

As the smoke cleared, Axew and Scraggy were groaning, unconscious with the attacks they've taken, including the self-destructed Dragon Rage. Meanwhile for Zorua, she remained unharmed as she gave a little yawn, satisfied with her little victory.

"Both Axew and Scraggy are unable to battle! Zorua wins! So the victor goes to Takeru!" Cilan declared, gesturing to the Nuvema boy and Zorua. Takeru blinked, before laughing nervously. "We won, I guess... But this didn't really like a fair battle..." Takeru confessed.

**Winner: Takeru**

Iris sweat dropped, while laughing nervously as well. "Mm hm... It didn't work again..." Iris stated, sighing. "Still... This seemed like a real battle, didn't it?" Ash asked. Iris and Takeru blinked, before they both thought it over. "I wonder..." Iris stated.

The Nuvema boy shrugged before he turned to Zorua. "Still... Nice job out there, Zorua. I think you might have the potential to be stronger! Do you want that?" Takeru asked. The Dark Type Pokémon thought it over for a while, before making her decision.

"En!" Zorua cried with a silly grin. For Ash, he nearly asked the same thing to Scraggy. "Hey, a Scraggy! You want to work hard with me?" Ash asked. "Scraggy!" Scraggy cried with a nod. That went for Iris and Axew, too. "I want you to work hard and get stronger too, Axew!" Iris giggled.

"Axew!" Axew cried with a nod. Cilan smiled, seeing how the three little Pokémon were sharing the same goals. "And I'll be looking forward for the three of you to refine your skills! Along with the rest of your Pokémon friends, of course!" Cilan assured.

The Nuvema boy and the Kanto trainer then took out Pokéballs, making their request to their newborn Pokémon. "Okay, Scraggy. Why don't you take a good rest?" Ash asked. Scraggy blinked, reminding Ash as he realized that he hadn't officially caught Scraggy yet.

"Oh yeah! Scraggy! Let's be good friends!" Ash called. He threw the Pokéball in the air, with Scraggy head-butting it. The ball sucked him in while Takeru did the same for Zorua. "What do you say, Zorua?" Takeru asked, showing her the Pokéball.

Zorua let out a yip and a smile, nudging her nose at the Pokéball. Like with Scraggy, the ball sucked her in, resulting he two Pokéballs to shake before they stopped, resulting in a double capture. The two boys held their Pokéballs, high into the air.

"Yeah! I've caught... Scraggy!" Ash cried out. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu cried in delight. "Well, Zorua... Welcome to the group!" Takeru called. "We have a new sibling in our team!" Riolu barked happily. Cilan and Iris watched, smiling as he two boys welcome their newborn Pokémon into their teams.

To be continued...

**Takeru's Team:**

**Riolu: (M): (Force Palm, Blaze Kick, ThunderPunch, Dig)**

**Joltik: (M): (Electro Ball, Signal Beam, String Shot, Electroweb)**

**Tranquill: (M): (Air Cutter, Gust, Aerial Ace, Roost)**

**Tepig: (M): (Flamethrower, Smog, Flame Charge, Rollout)**

**Zorua: (F): (Scratch, Leer, Pursuit, ?)**

Next chapters:

**Chapter 35: The Sewaddle Gets Us Lost!**

**Chapter 36: The Grass Guardian Protects the One!?**

**Chapter 37: A Connoisseuse!? Or a Fraud!?**

**Chapter 38: Cilan VS Burgundy! It's Evaluation Time!**

**Chapter 39: The Triple Ducklett Thieves!**

**Next chapter preview:**

Cilan: It says here that anyone could get lost in the Pinwheel Forest, so we should move cautiously while we can...

Ash: OW! That Sewaddle... Did it just attack us? You inspire me more, Sewaddle! I want to be your friend!

Iris: What a kid... You just got us lost now!... Huh? Where did Takeru go? Did we get separated!?

Takeru: Where is this place... And why am I feeling a peaceful presence around me? Who's there? Where are you!?

Burgh: My name is Burgh... I'm the Gym Leader of Castelia City and an artist, of course!

Takeru: Something's wrong in Pinwheel Forest... What... These nets!? And traps... Poachers!?


	35. The Sewaddle Gets Us Lost!

**Chapter 35: The Sewaddle Gets Us Lost!**

"So, we walk through that forest until we get there?" Ash asked. "Pika Pika?" Pikachu asked. "Wow... It's huge!" Iris pointed out in amazement. "Axew..." Axew agreed, seeing many trees around the forest. Takeru folded his arms with a small nod as Riolu was in his arms.

"It's the Pinwheel Forest!" Cilan pointed out. The Kanto trainer grew confused of the name of it. "So why is it called that?" Ash asked. "Well... Here's the thing... As long as we just walk straight through it, getting to the exit will be an easy job." Takeru explained.

"Right! And not only that, if we wander, we could find ourselves in a natural maze!" Cilan added. That seemed to tap onto Ash as he gave a cautious nod. "Whoa... We better be careful, then..." Ash said, feeling nervous. "That's the idea, alright..." Takeru agreed, folding his arms.

Iris smiled, making her assurance to the group. "There's no way we're getting lost. I happen to be a forest expert!" Iris explained. Both Ash and Takeru turned, as the Kanto trainer smiled at her courage. "You're pretty sure of yourself, Iris!" Ash chuckled. "Pika!" Pikachu smirked.

"So, the question is... Will this path lead us out of here? Or do we get lose in the maze?" Cilan asked. "Let's just make sure we stick to the first answer... Taking the path that leads us out of here..." Takeru answered. _"That means... Going straight."_ Riolu added.

The Nuvema boy chuckled, ruffling his Emanation Pokémon's head with a smile. "That's right!" Takeru chuckled, as Riolu growled in content. "Well then... Let's go check and see!" Ash called. "Pikachu!" Pikachu cried out in agreement. With that said, the group headed into the Pinwheel Forest.

None of them noticed, however, that someone was keeping an eye on them. The figure gave a narrowed eye to the group before taking off into the forest to keep an eye out on the four trainers and their Pokémon.

**(Pokémon: BW Best Wishes Opening: Be An Arrow! (English Subbed))**

(Ash, Takeru, Cilan, and Iris are running with Pikachu, Riolu, Pansage, and Axew, with colorful arrows flying above them as they ran to a light!)

**_One swiftly running arrow!_**

(A blue pillar and orange pillar appears, showing Ash and Pikachu, with Takeru and Riolu)

_**One supple arrow!**_

(A purple pillar appears, showing Iris and Axew)

_**One thinking arrow!**_

(A yellow green pillar appears, showing Cilan)

_**That's us now!**_

(Ash, Takeru, Cilan, and Iris stand together as they move towards the air together)

**_Cross the green mountain, remove the white clouds_**

(The Japanese opening appears)

_**Let's colorfully push through the wilderness, become an arrow!**_

(A group of wild Pokémon from the five regions run or fly along)

_**Even if we suddenly turn around, twist, and shake**_

(Ash, Cilan, Takeru, and Iris are running alongside with the Water Type Pokémon on the sea)

(Meloetta suddenly appears, snatching Ash's hat from his head)

_**There's no way that we'll get separated!**_

(In Prof. Oak's laboratory, all of Ash's Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh were there; Charizard gives a thumbs up to the screen)

_**Sometimes I can no longer see the road, and don't know where to go**_

(Ash and Takeru were stopped by giant pillars, blocking their way)

_**But you will always be by my side!**_

(Pikachu and Riolu appears, with Pikachu using Thunderbolt, while Riolu uses Aura Sphere)

(Both trainers and Pokémon smile happily at each other)

_**Even the bright sun is hidden by the clouds sometimes**_

(Keldeo, Cobalion, Virizion, and Terrakion stands together on top of an ice)

(Kyurem appears, turning into either Black or White Kyurem)

_**But meetings will always bring light!**_

(Cynthia and Alder smile at the four trainers standing at the bottom)

(Hikaru and Dawn comes by, with Infernape using Flamethrower, as Piplup uses Hydro Pump)

(Jessie, James, and Meowth let out evil smirks)

_**One too hot arrow!**_

(Stephan and Sawk pose together, standing together)

_**Two competitive arrows!**_

(Trip and Servine appears together after the dust clears)

_**Three helpful arrows!**_

(Bianca comes by with Pignite, as the two fall together)

_**So the heart will never break!**_

(Trip, Dawn, Hikaru, Iris, Ash, Takeru, Cilan, Bianca, and Stephan stand together with their Pokémon partners)

_**Aim forward as an arrow!**_

(Everyone shoots in the air, towards the sky)

_**Shine greater than even now as an arrow!**_  
_**Thrust toward your dream!**_

(Everyone combines together, creating a huge arrow, shooting towards the building)

(Takeru, Ash, Cilan, and Iris all stand together with all of their current Pokémon)

(Ash: Pikachu, Oshawott, Snivy, Tepig, Pidove, Scraggy)  
(Takeru: Riolu, Tranquill, Tepig, Joltik, Zorua, Petilil)  
(Iris: Axew and Excadrill)  
(Cilan: Pansage and Dwebble)

**(Opening ends)**

"It's so nice being in a lush forest!" Iris grunted, stretching her arms in the air. "The air is so fresh, and the sunlight is so bright, that this forest must be home to amazing Pokémon!" Cilan guessed. "I'm guessing lots of Grass and Bug Types live here..." Takeru stated.

Ash smirked, before turning to his Electric Type partner. "I hope we can come across a whole bunch of them!" Ash exclaimed. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu agreed. But suddenly, everyone was in for a surprise. A little Pokémon swung by, kicking Pikachu out of Ash's right shoulder!

Angry at this, the Electric Type glared at the swinging Pokémon and shot a Thunderbolt at it! The attack missed the Bug Type and hit Ash instead! Ash yelled as the electricity zapped him hard, startling Takeru, Iros, and Cilan, along with Pikachu and Riolu!

As the Kanto trainer tried to recover, the Bug Type shot into the air, launching several Razor Lead attacks! Pikachu yelped as he backflipped, dodging all of the sharp leaves. But as he landed, the Pokémon shot a String Shot at him, kicking him once again.

"What the!? What is this!?" Takeru yelped, glaring at the Pokémon. _"That just came out of nowhere!"_ Riolu barked, annoyed with the sudden appearance. Ash groaned, getting up from the attack he took. As he turned, the Bug Type used his teeth, biting Pikachu several times.

The Electric Type flailed, seeing it ticklish and painful at the same time. "It's using Bug Bite!" Cilan pointed out in shock. "Come on, Pikachu! Shake it off!" Ash cried. Immediately, the Electric Type managed to shake the little Pokémon off, causing it to flip backwards.

"Are you okay, Pikachu?" Ash asked. "Pikachu!" Pikachu called back, smiling with a nod. "Who's that Pokémon?" Ash asked, taking out his Pokédex. "It's a Sewaddle!" Takeru answered in amazement. Ash's Pokédex opened as he scanned the Pokémon Sewaddle.

_"__Sewaddle, the Sewing Pokémon. Sewaddle hides from its enemies by covering its head with a hood made from a leaf, and is known to eat its leafy clothing when food is scarce."_ Ash's Pokédex buzzed. Riolu grumbled in annoyance as he turned to Takeru.

_"What did it attack us for, anyway? Or Pikachu, I mean?"_ Riolu asked. "That's what I'd like to know..." Takeru agreed. "Sewaddle is popular among clothing designers, because they know how to design and make their clothing out of leaves!" Cilan explained.

"And that's just part of why they're so cute!" Iris giggled. The Nuvema boy face palmed, turning to Iris and Cilan. "Can we go back to the subject and question on why it had suddenly attacked Ash and Pikachu?" Takeru reminded, turning back to Sewaddle.

The Kanto trainer didn't seem to mind as he smirked. He took out an empty Pokéball, preparing to catch it. "I like a Pokémon who's strong! So I'm going to catch it!" Ash called. But suddenly, as he mentioned catch, Sewaddle quickly turned, shooting a mass full of String Shot at Ash!

The Kanto trainer screamed as he was wrapped around by String Shot. Everyone grew shocked as Ash tried to stand. His whole main body was covered by the mass full of String Shot attacks he took, which made it harder for him to stand straight.

"Argh... Yeah! You're good, Sewaddle! I like you even more!" Ash called. "But why would it attack us?" Iris asked. The Nuvema boy sighed, thinking over it. "Don't ask me... Is it because we're invading its territory?" Takeru guessed, unsure of the real reason.

"Maybe it just likes to battle!" Cilan guessed along. Riolu blinked to see Sewaddle getting frustrated and determined to win a battle. _"It's saying that it refuses to be caught by a human like Ash, big bro."_ Riolu translated, looking up at his human brother.

"I can see that by the look of the expression on its face." Takeru chuckled nervously. As he looked back down, Pikachu managed to free his trainer and partner from the String Shot ball with Iron Tail. "Hey thanks, Pikachu!" Ash thanked. "Pikachu!" Pikachu replied with a smile.

The Kanto trainer then turned back to Sewaddle, preparing his attack. "Pikachu! It's time to use Thunderbolt!" Ash called. Nodding with a smirk, the Electric Type shot into the air and shocked Sewaddle with a Thunderbolt attack, much to Sewaddle's shock.

It was slammed against the tree, before it recovered. It used String Shot on the tree branches to swing itself into other branches, escaping from the battle and the four humans along with their two Pokémon. "It's getting away! Sewaddle, come back here!" Ash shouted.

"Ash, oh no!" Iris gasped. "He's going off the path!" Cilan cried in surprise. Takeru frowned before he made his suggestion. "We have no choice. We have to catch up to him now!" Takeru called. "Right!" Iris and Cilan agreed together. Riolu nodded along with a nod.

So, the three attempted to run after Ash and Pikachu, trying to catch up to him. But as they ran, Takeru blinked, feeling a presence. He turned around, only to hear the wind, blowing the leaves and the forest around. "Hey, Riolu... Did you hear that?" Takeru asked.

_"Yeah... Someone was watching us." _Riolu agreed, narrowing his eyes. The Emenation Pokémon looked around to see whether a small aura was around, only to find nothing. _"I don't sense anyone around... It must've been the wind."_ Riolu responded.

Suddenly, the Nuvema boy sweat dropped, realizing what he had just done. "Oh no... Iris!? Cilan!?" Takeru called, turning around in panic. Much to his despair, no answer came, as silence was the only answer that came to him. This made Takeru very worried.

"You have got to be kidding... Now we're separated from each other!" Takeru groaned, face palming. Riolu gulped, shivering a little. _"Big bro, are we lost?"_ Riolu asked. "I don't know... But we both know we can't go back to the path we were just on." Takeru sighed.

He looked around, hoping for any sign of his friends. "Yep... We're lost..." Takeru grunted, face palming once again. He slowly walked around with Riolu to find the others, hoping to catch up to them. He didn't notice again that a pair of eyes were watching him and Riolu.

**Meanwhile...**

Sewaddle was swinging around the forest, escaping from his pursuers. For Ash and Pikachu, they ran as fast as they could, as they tried to catch up to the Sewing Pokémon. "Hey! Come back here!" "Pikachu!" The two shouted together, calling for Sewaddle.

However, as they ran faster, Ash tripped, causing him to yelp and fall to the ground. "GAH!" Ash yelped, falling onto his face. "Pika Pi!?" Pikachu gasped, running back for his trainer. Cilan and Iris managed to catch up to the two, where they saw Ash lying down.

"Ash!" "You okay?" Cilan and Iris called. The Kanto trainer groaned, getting up. "I'm fine, I'm fine... Sewaddle?!" Ash started, then gasped, looking up. As he looked up, Sewaddle was nowhere to be seen as the Connoisseur sighed in disappointment.

"Looks like Sewaddle got away..." Cilan stated. "Pika..." Pikachu groaned. Iris frowned, putting her hands on her hips. "Now what do we do, Ash?" Iris asked. The Kanto trainer got up, sighing. "I want to keep looking for Sewaddle, but I don't know..." Ash sighed.

"Remember, this forest is a natural maze like we've never seen! It's too dangerous!" Cilan explained. Ash groaned, as he admitted that his a Connoisseur friend was right. "You're right... We better get back on the path..." Ash sighed, slumping down.

He then blinked, seeing that someone was missing. "But, hold on! Where did Takeru go?" Ash asked. Cilan and Iris widened their eyes as they turned to see that the Nuvema boy and the Emanation Pokémon was missing. "Wait, what!?" Iris shrieked.

"I swear, he was just following us a few minutes ago!" Cilan assured. "Hey, Takeru! Where did you go!?" "Pika Pika!" Ash and Pikachu called out together. "Riolu! Takeru! Can either of you hear us?" Iris called. "Ax Axew!" Axew cried out in Iris' hair.

When they didn't get any answers, they all grew worried. "Man... What could've happened to them?" Ash asked, concerned. "Maybe Takeru took the lead by heading for the exit!" Iris guessed, thinking it over. "You could be right... He was still at the path..." Cilan agreed.

"Okay. Let's go!" Ash called. So, the three trainers went off ahead to find an exit for the forest so that they could meet up with their Nuvema boy friend and Riolu. What they didn't know was that their friend wasn't at the path... He was lost, as well.

**Back to Takeru...**

"This is getting bothersome..." Takeru groaned, rubbing the back of his head. _"Big bro... Maybe Tranquill can help us!"_ Riolu suggested as the Nufema boy blinked. "Of course! Tranquill can fly in the sky to see higher places!" Takeru laughed a little.

He took out his Wild Pigeon's Pokéball, and summoned him. "Tranquill, I need your help!" Takeru called. The evolved Flying Type appeared, seeing his trainer and Riolu. "Tranquill, could you look up high to see where the exit of the forest is?" Takeru asked.

"Tran!" Tranquill chirped as he flew up. The Flying Type flew above the trees, looking around. Unfortunately, he couldn't find an exit, but multiples of trees covering the ground! It was harder to see an open ground when all the trees were blocking his sight.

He sadly flew down, shaking his head. "Tranquill..." The Wild Pigeon Pokémon chirped sadly. "Nothing, huh? Thanks for the help anyway, Tranquill." Takeru thanked sadly. He returned Tranquill back to his Pokéball, before sighing. "Not much we could but search around." Takeru stated.

_"Uh huh..."_ Riolu sighed, shivering a little. The Nuvema boy carried on his search with Riolu in his arms. Suddenly, a wind blew to him and his Emanation Pokémon, alerting him of a presence. "Who's there!?" Takeru called, turning around, feeling cautious.

Riolu got ready to battle, until they realized no one was around. The wind stopped as the Nuvema boy frowned. "This isn't just a normal wind... Someone is watching us..." Takeru assured as Riolu looked around. _"I thought I sensed it too, big bro."_ Riolu added.

Takeru nodded and continued on walking. Suddenly, he blinked before jumping back. "WHOA!" Takeru yelped as he jumped back. The little Fighting Type yelped, confused on why his human brother jumped back when he heard a metallic sound.

**CLANG!**

Riolu shrieked a little before he looked down. Right in front of the Nuvema Town and himself was a metal trap that could be used to capture a little Pokémon or to injure a target. _"Big bro Takeru... What is this?"_ Riolu asked, frightened of the metal object.

Takeru went closer to see that the object had already been activated but failed to capture him or Riolu. "This is... a poacher trap! These things are used to capture Pokémon!" Takeru growled. He stomped on the object angrily, nearly breaking it, but only made a dent of it.

Suddenly, glowing leaves came to their way, as Takeru dodged it, while being knocked to the ground. "Argh!" _"Ah!" _Takeru and Riolu yelped as they fell to the ground. The sudden attack had destroyed the trap the Nuvema boy had a made a dent on.

_"What was that!?"_ Riolu cried in shock. "Magical Leaf... So it must've come from a Pokémon..." Takeru grunted. "Til! Petilil!" A cry called, getting the Nuvema duo's attention. As they looked, they spotted a small Pokémon that looked like a bulb, but a moving bulb.

"Petilil! Petilil!" The little Grass Type cried. "A Petilil?" Takeru replied, taking out his Pokédex. _"__Petilil, the Bulb Pokémon. Petilil prefer living in rich, fertile soil where all types of plants grow in abundance." _Takeru's Pokédex buzzed. "But why would it attack us?" Takeru asked.

"Tilil! Petilil!" Petilil cried, hopping over the two._ "Petilil only did it so it could stop us from getting hurt from the poacher device."_ Riolu explained as the Nuvema boy blinked. "Hate to burst your bubble, Petilil... But the trap was already used and destroyed." Takeru chuckled.

The Bulb Pokémon sighed before it looked around. "Til! Petilil!" Petilil explained. _"She says that there are Pokémon poachers around, trying to capture many Pokémon here, including her. She only managed to stay out of the poacher's sight, though..."_ Riolu translated.

"So there are poachers here... Tch. Idiots." Takeru grunted, folding his arms, annoyed. Petilil blinked and cocked her head in confusion. _"She asks, what do you have against poachers." _Riolu translated again, as the Nuvema boy sighed, folding his arms.

"They torture Pokémon, they capture it without mercy... What other reason could be there to hate them?" Takeru asked, frowning. That seemed to make Petilil understand as she gave a small nod. "But what are you doing out here, Petilil?" Takeru inquired.

"Til... Petilil!" Petilil explained as Riolu translated it again._ "She's trying to find the guardian of the forest here..."_ Riolu explained. "Guardian... of the Forest?" The Nuvema boy repeated in surprise. "Til..." Petilil responded with sparkly eyes and a happy sigh.

_"She says that the guardian of this forest is the strongest Pokémon that she's ever seen so far. She believes it as the queen of the forest. The guardian would always protect Pokémon from bad guys, like humans."_ Riolu explained. The Nuvema boy sweat dropped at that.

"But... I'm a human... And you never see me doing what those poachers have done..." Takeru reminded with a nervous chuckle. "Petilil... Petilil..." Petilil replied, checking over the Nuvema boy's body. Riolu smiled before turning to his human brother.

_"She believes it now since you don't seem to be hostile, and you don't seem to have capture nets and thorns, big bro."_ Riolu explained as Takeru smiled. "Of course... I'm one of the humans who loves Pokémon!" Takeru explained with a smile.

They didn't notice the same figure was spying on the three. The figure watched Takeru very carefully. She narrowed her eyes, still suspicious about the human being in the forest. It was time to see whether he's capable of surviving in Pinwheel Forest or not.

**Back to Ash...**

"Oopsy-oops..." Iris gulped. While trying to find the exit and Takeru at the same time, Iris took the lead, believing that the forest is telling her to make the turns. The Kanto trainer seemed interested while the Connoisseur didn't believe in it, much to Iris' annoyance.

So, she tried to lead the two boys to the exit following the forest's voice, only to end up at a dead end, in front of a cliff. "Forest's voice, huh?" Ash asked, not believing it this time. Iris gulped, trying to reason with his two disbelieving friends.

"Uh... The forest told us to come here, because... It wanted to show us, this magnificent scenery!" Iris lied, as Ash sweat dropped. "Come again?" Ash asked. "Whatever you say, Iris." Cilan sighed, not getting this. The Connoisseur looked around, frowning.

"It looks like what they say about this forest is true! We got off the path for one second, and now we're lost! And Takeru is nowhere to be seen, along with Riolu. The nature girl then had an idea. "The best thing to do at times like this is to get to higher grounds and see where we are!" Iris declared.

"Higher grounds?" Ash repeated in question. "Right! Over there!" Iris called. The group all turned to see a gigantic tree up ahead. It seemed to be the biggest tree out of all the trees in the forest. The Connoisseur smiled, getting the idea.

"She's right! We,ll be able to see things from the top of that tree!" Cilan exclaimed. "Let's go, then!" Iris called. So, with that decided, the group decided to find Takeru and the exit by heading over to the gigantic tree up ahead. As they got there, they were all amazed.

"Pika..." "Whoa..." Ash and Pikachu replied in awe. "What an enormous tree!" Ash pointed out in amazement. Iris nodded and ran towards it. "I'll go check it out!" Iris called. She jumped onto the tree and began climbing onto it. Ash grinned, running after her.

"Wait! I'm coming!" Ash called. Cilan smiled, seeing the two climbing up. "You be careful!" Cilan warned. While Iris managed to climb up the tree easily, Pikachu was able to do the same, while the Kanto trainer was having a bit of trouble.

He slid back down on his first try, but managed to get up to the top on his second try. Soon, both trainers were nearly at the top of the tree. "What's up?" Ash asked, catching up to the nature girl. Iris frowned, before looking at the scenery. "Maybe we should climb a bit higher..." Iris suggested.

"Well then? Let's go!" Ash called. But suddenly, as the two looked up, they gasped, along with Pikachu and Axew! There was something hanging onto a tree branch, while the object was wrapped up by some kind of leaf-like fabric. "What is that thing?" Iris asked, nervous.

Hearing them yelp, Cilan called out to the two. "Hey! You guys alright?" Cilan called. "Uh... There's something weird up here!" Ash responded, leaving Cilan confused. "Something weird?" The Connoisseur repeated. Before they could respond back, the object opened up!

Ash, Iris, Pikachu, and Axew cried out in shock to see a man falling towards the branch they're on. The man shushed the four with a sly smile on his face. "You don't want to scare the forest Pokémon now, do you?" The man asked. At this, both Ash and Iris blinked together in confusion.

The same was said for Pikachu and Axew, as they were more confused than their trainers. Soon, everyone was back at the ground, right in front of the trees. "I don't get it... What are you doing up there?" Ash asked, confused with the man.

"I surround myself with nature by living like a forest Pokémon!" The man answered. "But, what do you do that for?" Iris asked. "Hm... If I tell you, will you understand? It's my... pure heart. That's what it is!" The man answered smoothly.

That made the three trainers even more curious and confused. "Really? Your pure heart? Wow..." Cilan asked, amazed. The man chuckled, before taking a deep breath. He opened his eyes, explaining his reason for being in the Pinwheel Forest.

"I draw... I design... Pictures... Clothes... Honestly, I'm a super talented artist!" The man explained. "A true genius, who is stuck in a slump..." The man sighed, frowning. "Oh... So even geniuses go through slumps?" Iris asked. "Shh!" Cilan shushed, warning the nature girl.

As the girl quieted down, the man turned, smiling at the three trainers. "Of course! That's why I get some real inspiration if I lived down here among the forest Pokémon!" The man added. "And... That's why you've got a pure heart?" Ash inquired. "Pika Pika?" Pikachu asked along.

"That's it! A pure heart makes a profound art!" The man shouted. "Okay..." Ash, Iris, and Cilan replied in unison. Once the explanation was done, the man cleared his throat, turning to the group. "I've talked enough about me! So! What are you all doing in a place like this?" The man asked.

"Well... We strayed off the path and got lost!" Cilan explained. The man smiled in understanding as he nodded. "I see... Have no fear! I can guide you out of here! But since you are here, why don't you enjoy living in the forest for a while?" The man suggested.

Ash seemed to want to object to that idea. "The thing is, I want to go to Castelia City and challenge he Gym! Other than that, we're trying to find a friend of ours here that we separated with..." Ash explained. The man jumped onto one of the giant tree roots and gave a laugh.

"Ha! It's useless to go there now!" The man reminded, confusing Ash. "Huh?" was the only word Ash could say, until the man introduced himself of who he really was. "After all, the Castelia Gym Leader, Burgh, just happens to be me!" Burgh explained.

The group let out shocks and gasps, until Cilan composed himself. "So you're telling us, that you're Burgh!? The world famous Bug Type Pokémon Trainer!?" Cilan exclaimed in shock. Burgh laughed at that, before he corrected the Connoisseur with style.

"I'm not just any Bug Type trainer! I'm an artistic trainer!" Burgh declared, causing the group to sweat drop. Once Burgh had said his introduction, the three trainers introduced themselves. "I'm Ash Ketchum! Glad to meet you! And this is Pikachu!" Ash explained.

He introduced himself and his Electric Type, causing Pikachu to greet the Castelia Gym Leader. "Pikachu!" Pikachu cried out. "Hi there! I'm Iris!" Iris replied. "And I'm Cilan! A Pokémon Connoisseur!" Cilan replied, bowing down. Burgh smiled, seeing the three together.

"Pokémon trainers traveling together in expanding horizons! But didn't you say you had a friend you were looking for?" Burgh asked as the Kanto trainer answered that. "Oh yeah! His name is Takeru, Takeru Yamada! His partner is a Riolu!" Ash explained.

**Back to Takeru... **

Takeru was still walking around, hoping to disarm the traps around. He managed to destroy a few, with the assistance of Petilil. "These traps are everywhere! Just what kind of a poacher is this person?" Takeru snapped, annoyed with so many traps in a Pokémon habitat.

_"I can think many ways, big bro... A cruel, idiotic, and a nasty poacher."_ Riolu answered, causing his human brother to laugh. "Ha ha... I believe that too, Riolu." Takeru chuckled, scratching Riolu's chin. The Emanation Pokémon growled in content, while moaning as well.

_"Oh... Big bro... Please don't stop..."_ Riolu moaned, as he snuggled onto his human brother's chest. Petilil giggled, seeing the human and his Pokémon happy together. She sighed, hoping to be happy with a human like that. As the Nuvema boy chuckled, he stopped, looking up at the trees.

"I wonder how the others are doing... Have they made it out of the forest yet?" Takeru asked himself in concern. Petilil blinked, looking up at her human friend. "Til?" Petilil asked. "Hm? Oh... I'm fine. I'm just worried for my friends that was with me..." Takeru explained.

"Petilil..." The Grass Type said sadly, remembering when her friends was captured by the poacher. Just then, there was a clanging sound right behind Takeru. He swiftly turned to see a man smirking at him evilly. He looked like a roughneck with tools on him.

"What... Who are you!?" Takeru gasped. "Doesn't matter, kid. Hand over that Petilil if you know what's good for you." The man demanded, causing Petilil to be frightened as she hid behind the Nuvema boy's left leg. Takeru widened his eyes before he glared.

"You're... You're a Pokémon Poacher, aren't you!?" Takeru snapped. "So what if I am? This doesn't have any concern to you, kid... So, just back off and hand over that Petilil!" The poacher demanded as Takeru stepped back. "Over my dead body you will!" Takeru scoffed.

_"Big bro!?"_ "Til!?" Both Riolu and Petilil were shocked at Takeru's angry personality as the poacher gritted his teeth. "Grrr... Fine! Have it your way! Let's go, Krookodile!" The poacher yelled, summoning his Pokémon. A crocodile, but dry looking Pokémon came out, smirking at the same time.

"Krookodile..." Takeru whispered as he checked his Pokédex. _"Krookodile, the Intimidation Pokémon and the evolved form of Krokorok__. Krookodile can destroy an automobile with its jaws." _Takeru's Pokédex buzzed. The Nuvema boy gulped at this Pokémon.

"Prepare for battle, Riolu..." Takeru warned._ "Right..." _Riolu grunted. He glared at Krookodile, ready to fight. "You've got guts, kid. I like that! Now, Krookodile! Use Hyper Beam!" The poacher yelled. Krookodile roared, attempting to shoot the powerful attack at Riolu.

"Riolu! Dodge with Dig!" Takeru yelled. The Emanation Pokémon managed to dig underground, evading the Hyper Beam attack. "Now! Hit him hard with Blaze Kick!" Takeru cried. Digging out of the ground, a Riolu let out a battle cry, slamming Krookodile away with Blaze Kick.

"What!? Krookodile, use Stone Edge, let's go!" The poacher yelled. "Repel them with ThunderPunch!" Takeru cried. As Stone Edge was thrown, Riolu managed to deflect it all with ThunderPunch, rendering the Rock Type attack useless. "Why you... Use Hyper Beam!" The poacher bellowed.

"Use Dig to dodge!" Takeru shouted. Once again, Hyper Beam was evaded with Dig. But the poacher was ready this time. "Use Bulldoze to counter!" The poacher yelled. "What!? Riolu, get out of there and use Force Palm!" Takeru cried. As the battle went on, Petilil was amazed.

She had just met this human and his Pokémon, and they're still protecting her! She grew teary, seeing that there are some who cared for her. She looked back to see Krookodile blasted away with Force Palm, causing it to be injured severely. "You can't be serious!?" The poacher yelled.

He backed away a few steps, before he recalled Krookodile. "Damn you! Krookodile, return!" The poacher called. As his evolved Ground Type was returned, he angrily glared at the Nuvema boy with a threatening look. "This isn't over, you little brat!" The poacher snapped.

He ran off, while throwing a smoke bomb right in front of the Nuvema boy. It exploded, causing smoke to appear in the air."Argh! Get back here, you coward!" Takeru snapped angrily. The Nuvema boy tried to look through the smoke, only for it to be futile.

Once it cleared, the poacher was already gone. "Poachers... How annoying." Takeru scoffed, as he held Riolu back in his arms. "Are you alright, Riolu?" Takeru asked. _"Don't worry! I didn't get hurt, big bro!" _Riolu barked with a grin.

Sighing, the Nuvema boy smiled back before he turned to the amazed Petilil. "What about you? Are you alright, Petilil?" Takeru asked. "Petilil! Petilil!" Petilil cried happily. "I'm taking that as a yes." Takeru chuckled.

He looked up, seeing that the sky was a bit orange, despite of not being able to see the sky completely. "It's already getting dark... We should find a safe place to sleep tonight. Then tomorrow, we can help save your friends, Petilil." Takeru assured, rubbing her head. "Petilil..." Petilil replied, blushing.

She gave a small nod, allowing the Nuvema boy to nod back. As the three walked around to find a safe place to sleep, the Nuvema boy once again looked up at the trees and the afternoon sky. "Stay safe, everyone..." Takeru whispered before he kept walking.

Riolu looked up at his human brother, before placing a paw on his right cheek, much to Takeru's surprise. _"Big bro... Our friends are strong, right?"_ Riolu asked, causing his human brother to blink. "Yeah... When three together, they're strong." Takeru answered.

_"So, why does it sound like you're doubting their safety big bro?" _Riolu asked. Takeru blinked, before answering. "I don't know... It's just... I'm just concerned for them, is all. No other reason, Riolu." Takeru answered with an assuring smile.

Riolu grinned with a nod as he settled in his human brother's arms, with Petilil walking on their left. They walked to see the safe area where they could shelter for the night, before dark came by. What none of them noticed was the same figure once again.

The figure spying on him, Riolu, and Petilil watched as the three were trying to find shelter. The figure smiled, seeing how brave the Nuvema boy was, defending Petilil while defeating that awful human at the same time. And the strong bond he and Riolu had was impressive.

**_"It seems I underestimated this human boy... I suppose I need to keep an eye on him more in this forest, in case something does happen."_ **The female figure's voice chuckled in amusement. She walked off, while planning to secretly follow the human boy once again.

To be continued...

**Takeru's Team:**

**Riolu: (M): (Force Palm, Blaze Kick, ThunderPunch, Dig)**

**Joltik: (M): (Electro Ball, Electroweb, String Shot, Signal Beam)**

**Tranquill: (M): (Air Cutter, Gust, Roost, Aerial Ace)**

**Tepig: (M): (Flamethrower, Smog, Flame Charge, Rollout)**

**Zorua: (F): (Scratch, Leer, Pursuit, ?)**

Next chapters:

**Chapter 36: The Grass Guardian Protects the One!?**

**Chapter 37: A Connoisseuse!? Or a Fraud!?**

**Chapter 38: Cilan VS Burgundy! It's Evaluation Time!**

**Chapter 39: The Triplet Ducklett Thieves!**

**Chapter 40: Deino VS Ducklett! A New Choice!**

**Next chapter preview:**

Takeru: Who are you... And what are you doing to these Grass and Bug Type Pokémon!? Are you some sort of a poacher!?

Poacher: Yeah, that's right! My client wants as many Grass and Bug Type Pokémon like here in Pinwheel Forest! There's a good amount of money waiting for me there!

Takeru: You imbecile... You're making a serious mistake poaching Pokémon in front of me! You're going to release them now, or you'll pay for it dearly!

Ash: What's with those Pokémon!? And where's Sewaddle!? Takeru!? What are you...

Burgh: No! That Sewaddle is heading for that waterfall! It's going to crash down!

Iris: But, all those Pokémon! And Takeru is going against that strange man! What could be worse!?


	36. The Grass Guardian Protects the One?

**Chapter 36: The Grass Guardian Protects the One!?**

Last time on "Pokémon Unova Journey", while heading for Castelia City for Ash and Takeru's third Gym battle, they find themselves in Pinwheel Forest, where it was known to be a natural maze if one were to be driven off the original path of the lush forest.

However, while trying to get through the forest, they were suddenly attacked by a wild Sewaddle, who Ash took interest in. As the Kanto trainer attempted to catch it, Sewaddle managed to get away, as well as separating Takeru and Riolu from the other three.

So, with two tasks in hand, Ash, Iris, and Cilan all began to search for the Nuvema boy and the Pinwheel Forest exit. During the search, they found a gigantic tree, which was even bigger than the other trees. While Ash and Iris climbed up, they discovered a man already on the tree.

The man introduces himself as Burgh, the expert artist with pure heart, and the Gym Leader of the Castelia Gym. Once the introduction was done, Ash recalled that they were searching for Takeru and Riolu, who seemed to be having trouble as well.

While the Nuvema boy searched for his friends, he encountered a poacher trap, along with a Petilil who had escaped from the poacher. Petilil explained about the guardian of the forest, and how her friends were captured. At this, Takeru had a new task for himself.

A poacher had suddenly arrived, attempting to steal Petilil from Takeru, until he defeated the poacher, using Riolu against the poacher's Krookodile. Takeru knew this wasn't over yet as he searched for a safe place to spend the night, not noticing the figure watching him carefully.

"AH!" Ash yelped. He was bashed to the ground, being hit on the forehead by an angry Sewaddle. While talking with Burgh, Ash, Cilan, and Iris explained of their current situation they had with getting separated from their friends, Takeru and Riolu.

The Castelia Gym Leader had understood, then grew amazed with the four trainers traveli together as companions. He then explained about his art to the group, where the old becomes new. Ash and Iris seemed to be excited about all that, until a certain Sewaddle came by.

Sewaddle kicked Ash to the ground angrily, while being comfortable with Burgh as he chewed on some leaves. While Cilan prepared a supper, the others tried to befriend Sewaddle in a positive way. Burgh, Iris, Pikachu, and Axew greeted the Sewing Pokémon perfectly.

But for Ash, it didn't seem to work well. Iris giggled at the Kanto trainer's failing attempt. "That's what you get for trying to catch it right off the bat!" Iris teased. That didn't seem to bring Ash down as BUrgh let out a nervous chuckle. "Don't take it too personally. A Tackle is a sort of hello!" Burg chuckled.

With that, Ash tried again, crouching down to Sewaddle's level. "Right! Sewaddle, it's really nice to meet you!" Ash assured, until the annoyed Sewing Pokémon turned away. It crawled away, much to Ash's dismay. "Off we go! Bye-bye!" Burgh chuckled.

The Kanto trainer sweat dropped, seeing that he once again failed to befriend the stubborn Grass-Bug Type Pokémon. Curious of what the Grass-Bug Type might do, Ash, Iris, Burgh, and Pikachu followed it, where Sewaddle led the four to a few bushes.

It stopped, much to Ash's confusion. "Huh? What's wrong?" Ash asked. "Sewaddle looks like it might be just standing there... But I'm sure it's doing something!" Burgh assured. Iris made a guess, believing it's true. "Like listening to the forest!" Iris guessed.

"It could be! You might be right!" Burgh exclaimed with a smile. "I am! Yippee!" Iris cheered, punching her fist in the air. But that was Ash noticed something peculiar about the Sewing Pokémon. "Hm? Sewaddle is eating those leaves!" Ash pointed out, as Burgh and Iris looked down.

Indeed, Sewaddle was chewing on some leaves as a snack of some sort. The Castelia Gym Leader chuckled at that. "I guess it was wondering which leaf it should eat?" Burgh chuckled. At that, the nature girl fell over, embarrassed that her guess was wrong.

Just as Sewaddle finished chewing the leaves he ate, the Sewing Pokenon began to move once again. "Hm? Look! It's heading out again!" Ash pointed out. "I wonder where it's going this time?" Iris asked. With the question unanswered, the group continued to follow the Sewing Pokémon.

As they followed the Grass-Bug Type to a nice hill, Sewaddle yawned as he made himself comfortable on the ground. He rolled up a little, falling asleep. "Nothing like a nap after a big meal!" Burgh joked, causing Ash to ask. "So, that means..." Ash started, which Iris finished.

"It's time for us to take a nap, too?" Iris asked. "Exactly!" Burgh responded with a smile. So, with that agreed, Ash, Iris, Burgh, Pikachu, and Axew laid down on the ground, as they surrounded the balling Sewaddle. Ash smiled, feeling comfortable at this.

"Man... Does this feel awesome..." Ash sighed, looking up. "Pika." Pikachu agreed, feeling relaxed as well. "Haven't done this in a while..." Iris admitted. "Ew..." Axew agreed, looking up like his trainer. The three trainers and the two Pokémon watched the clouds that was floating in the blue sky.

"How does looking at the sky make you feel?" Burgh asked. "Beautiful blue... Dotted by white clouds..." Iris whispered, while Ash sighed. "What a great day..." Ash sighed. "Pika Pika." Pikachu agreed. The three and the two Pokémon continued looking up until Burgh asked another question.

"And not only that, doesn't the sky seem to be huge?" Burgh inquired. "Huh... Now that you mention it, yeah!" Iris agreed. "Well, beyond that blue sky, is outer space! Infinitely huge!" Burgh explained, which seemed to awe the Kanto trainer. "Awesome..." Ash commented.

"Pika..." Pikachu agreed. Just then, Sewaddle yawned loudly, waking up from his nap. Ash and Iris were both surprised, but smiled to see their friend awake now. "Oh! It's awake!" Iris pointed out. "Awake and on the move again!" Burgh added with a smile.

So, like before, while Sewaddle moved to different places of the forest, the three trainers and their two Pokémon followed, as they were all curious of what Sewaddle would be up to now. As they were doing so, the sky started to grow a bit orange.

**Meanwhile...**

Takeru was still walking around the forest, frustrated with all the walking he had to do, in intention of searching for his friends and shelter at the same time. Petilil seemed tired walking, so the Nuvema boy held both her and Riolu as the two took a nap in his arms.

"This forest is getting us nowhere... Nothing seems safe right now..." Takeru sighed, looking around. He narrowed his eyes, in case if someone was stalking him or if there was a trap somewhere. He remained quiet until it felt like it was okay to keep walking.

_"Where is everyone, though? I thought I would meet them somewhere around here... This feels like it's the deeper part of the forest. And I don't like where this is going on..."_ Takeru thought, gulping. Just then, he spotted a huge opening in a big tree up ahead.

"Ah! There!" Takeru exclaimed. He ran to the opening. It seemed clear, so he placed the two little Pokémon down for them to sleep a bit more. "About time we found shelter..." Takeru grumbled, before he looked at the sky that was about to turn from blue to orange.

As the two Pokémon slept, the Nuvema boy folded his arms, recalling the dream he had yesterday. _"What Zekrom was about to tell me... Will he be able to tell me now? I'm prepared to hear anything... even if it could hurt me! I just have to know..."_ Takeru thought.

He leaned to the wall of the tree's inside, falling asleep as well. In his sleep, he tried to get back to the world he had met Zekrom. However, for some reason, Takeru began to feel that he was being prevented from going back to the Zekrom's dream world. He opened his eyes at that.

"What was that?... I'm being blocked?" Takeru grunted, holding his head. He shook his head, only for both Riolu and Petiili to wake up._ "*Yawn*... Where... Where are we, big bro?"_ Riolu asked, yawning. He wiped the sleepy seeds out of his eyes as he looked at his human brother.

"I think we should spend the night here. Tomorrow, we'll find that poacher, and all our friends for sure. Right after that, we're out of the Pinwheel Forest!" Takeru explained. _"That sounds great!"_ Riolu barked with a smile. Petilil gave a reluctant, feeling unsure about herself.

The Nuvema boy noticed her thinking as he turned to her with a question. "Is something wrong, Petilil?" Takeru asked, causing the Grass Type to blink and look at the human. "Til?" Petilil asked, sweat dropping. "Are you thinking about your captured friends?" Takeru asked.

"Petilil..." Petilil sighed sadly, wondering how her friends are doing. Takeru smiled softly, before he gave her a pat on the head. "Don't worry about it. We'll stop the poacher tomorrow if we have to." Takeru assured, causing her to blink in surprise.

After seeing his eyes, Petilil gave a smile and a nod. "Petilil!" Petilil cried in agreement._ "She says that it's a deal."_ Riolu translated while the Nuvema boy smiled. "Alright then... Let's get something to eat first, and then we can take some sleep." Takeru suggested.

_"Okay!"_ "Petilil!" The two Pokémon cried out their agreement. With that said, the three began to search around to find some fruits they could eat for the night. As they searched, they still didn't notice the figure keeping an eye on them. The figure smiled at this scene.

_**"Hm... Will that boy be able to keep his promise? I will have to see to know for tomorrow, I suppose." **_The figure chuckled as she leapt off and out of sight. As she was gone, the wind had blown, gaining Takeru's attention as he turned around.

"Who's there!?" Takeru called. Riolu and Petilil stopped to see that the Nuvema boy was searching around for someone. The human boy narrowed his eyes, looking for anything suspicious, until he passed the feeling. "Must've been my imagination..." Takeru grumbled.

The two Pokémon chuckled, seeing how the Nuvema boy was getting flustered already.

**Back to Ash...**

The stubborn Sewaddle had led Ash, Iris, Burgh, Pikachu, and Burgh to bushes that had leaves and some fruits on them. "Look at all that fruit!" Ash pointed out in amazement. "It ate, slept, and ate... Will it go to sleep again?" Iris asked, making her guess.

"Well, that's part of the life cycle! It's the exact same thing with baby people, right?" Burgh chuckled. Before either Ash or Iris could answer, something flew out of the bushes, startling the three trainers, Pikachu, Axew, and Sewaddle! It flew into the air, revealing who the Pokémon was.

"It's a Woobat!" Ash pointed out in shock. "It was eating, too!" Burgh pointed out. The Psychic-Flying Type shrieked at the humans and the Pokémon, sounding like a warning. "I think it's telling us to stay away!" Iris guessed, with the Kanto trainer sweating.

"They're gonna start fighting over the fruit!" Ash exclaimed. Ash was proven right as the Woobat made copies of himself, using a Double Team! "It's using Double Team!" Ash pointed out. For Sewaddle, he panicked a little, before having an idea for a surprise.

It used String Shot, guiding it to knock down all the clones, leaving the real one out! Sewaddle smirked, seeing that he has caught his opponent. But suddenly, another one came out from behind, leaving a surprise for the Sewing Pokémon and Ash. "Two of them!?" Ash exclaimed.

As he gasped, the two Woobats shot an Air Slash attack, aiming to hit Sewaddle directly. Without warning, Ash made a run for the Grass-Bug Type. "Sewaddle, look out!" Ash yelled. He took the Air Slash attacks, causing shocks for both Pikachu and Sewaddle.

"Argh!" Ash grunted in pain. He slammed to the ground, giving Pikachu and Sewaddle the chance to strike back. Sewaddle shot a Razor Leaf attack, cutting the Woobat apart, while Pikachu shocked his opponent with a Thunderbolt attack. Realizing they have no chance of winning, the two Woobats fled.

Once they were gone, Iris and Burgh ran over to the injured Kanto trainer. "Ash, no!" Iris gasped. "Are you alright?" Burgh asked. "Pikachu!?" Pikachu called, feeling concerned for his friend. Recovering from the two attacks, Ash grinned, giving a reassuring smile.

"Yeah... I didn't feel a thing!" Ash assured. Hearing that, both Burgh and Iris smiled in relief, while Pikachu sighed, seeing that his friend was alright now. But to their surprise, they noticed Sewaddle scurrying over to Ash, carrying a fruit for him!

The Sewing Pokémon set the fruit down, looking up at Ash. "Waddle!" Sewaddle called, urging Ash to eat it. "Is this fruit for me?" Ash asked, causing Sewaddle to blush lightly. He turned away with a smile, causing the others to chuckle while the Kanto trainer smiled.

"Thanks a lot, Sewaddle!" Ash thanked, seeing how thankful the Sewing Pokémon felt.

**That evening...**

"LET'S EAT!" "Pikachu!" "Axew!" "Sewaddle!" Everyone called. It was sunset as everyone was having supper. "Mm... Delicious." Burgh commented, smiling. "Wow... Your pasta and soup tastes great together, Cilan!" Iris complimented. "Mm hm!" Ash agreed, while he finished up his plate.

"What do you think, Take- Oh..." Ash started, trying to talk to Takeru, only to realize that the Nuvema boy wasn't around. "I forgot that Takeru isn't here with us, now that we separated from him..." Ash sighed, frowning. Iris and Burgh frowned, as Cilan came over.

"Well... We can only hope that he's safe, with Riolu. Let's try to be positive for him even if he isn't around right now." Cilan suggested as Ash frowned. "I guess so..." Ash sighed. "Ahem... Anyhow, here is a fruit salad just for you, Burgh!" Cilan called.

He gave the Castelia Gym Leader a bowl of fruit salad as the Bug Type Gym Leader smiled. "Say, how did you know that dish was my favorite?" Burgh asked as Cilan let out a chuckle. "Well, I am a Pokémon Connoisseur!" Cilan reminded. Iris blinked, looking around for someone.

"Wait... Where's Sewaddle?" Iris asked. "Sewaddle is eating, too!" Ash explained, pointing to where Sewaddle was eating. He seemed to be eating fruits and berries for its supper as the evening dinner went by in a flash, turning to night. This came a surprise for Ash, Cilan, and Iris.

Burgh had invited them to sleep at the treetops, as they all watched the moon and the rest of the forest. "What a magnificent view..." Cilan commented. "I've never slept in a treetop before..." Ash admitted, grinning. "A delicious touch!" Cilan added.

Burgh glanced at the Kanto trainer with a deep question. "So, how much did you discover on your journey, Ash?" Burgh asked. "Discovered?" Ash asked in question. The Gym Leader chuckled, before explaining his explanation for his love of Bug Types.

"When I was a child, the great beauty of Bug Type Pokémon captured my pure heart! Since then, I've drawn pictures of them and battled with them more times than I can remember! But, even to this day, I continue to learn new and marvelous things about them!" Burgh explained.

Ash seemed to agree as he smiled. "Yeah... Pokémon are awesome!" Ash agreed, until Iris gasped. "Look! A shooting star!" Iris pointed out. Everyone was in awe as they saw the stars shooting down brightly in the sky. "Whoa... What a sweet sight!" Cilan commented.

"Falling asleep under the stars is the best!" Iris pointed out with a smile. At this, Ash turned to Sewaddle with a suggestion. "Sewaddle! Hang out!" Ash called. The Grass-Bug Type blinked down before he turned away, declining the offer with a scoff.

"Ha ha... That's fine. Have a good sleep!" Ash chuckled. So, Cilan turned the lantern off, allowing everyone to go to sleep. But just as the Kanto trainer and Pikachu was about to sleep, Sewaddle lowered down, facing them, much to Ash's startle. "Hm? What's the matter?" Ash asked.

Sewaddle gave no answer but moved inside Ash's sleeping bad, sleeping besides the Kanto trainer and his Electric Type partner. Burgh chuckled at the sight of a new friendship. "Say... That's an unusual thing for Sewaddle to do." Burgh pointed out with a smile.

"Sew wa wa..." Sewaddle yawned, grinning. He settled in the sleeping bag to sleep in as the Kanto trainer smiled. "Alright... Good night, Pikachu. You too, Sewaddle." Ash called. "Pika Pika..." "Sew wa wa..." Pikachu and Seeaddle yawned together in unison.

Soon, everyone was fast asleep, along with Pikachu, Axew, and Sewaddle. They all hoped to be out of the forest tomorrow, while being reunited with the Nuvema boy and Riolu.

**Back to Takeru...**

Fire was still cracking, warming up Takeru, Petilil, and Riolu as they settled in the opening of the tree. Riolu and Petilil were both already asleep, leaving the Nuvema boy out. He watched the shooting stars twinkle down as he smiled at the starry night sky.

"What a night... First, we get separated from Ash, Cilan, and Iris... And now we found ourselves in a Pokémon Poacher situation... Other than that, there's this Guardian of the Forest we have to deal with..." Takeru sighed silently. He rubbed the back of his head, giving a deep sigh.

He laid his head on the sleeping bag, looking up at the stars, while staying inside in the tree's opening. _"When I find that poacher tomorrow, he's going to get it for sure... I just hope that there aren't any more traps to deal with, though..." _Takeru thought.

He closed his eyes, before falling asleep, in hopes of completing his task tomorrow. But, as the night turned to dawn, there was something else that came to Takeru's mind... in his dreams, that is.

**Dream**

**Takeru's POV**

**_(PokéPark 2: Wonders Beyond: Wish Palace Theme)_**

I found myself once again in the thundercloud surroundings, causing me to recognize on where I am. I narrowed my eyes, before calling out to the legendary black dragon. "Zekrom! I know you're here! Show yourself!" I called, looking up at the gray and cloudy sky.

As I expected, there was a loud roar, causing some of the thunderous clouds to look frightened as they shifted away. At the same time, the legendary Pokémon, Zekrom, came landing on the ground, facing against me. "You summoned here for some reason, right?" I asked.

Zekrom narrowed his eyes, before making his response in telepathy. **_"That is correct. I also seem to notice that you were trying to get into this world, which is simply brave of you. That, I compliment you, my child." _**Zekrom responded.

Again... He spoke to me as his child. I shook my head, clearing that thought. "Am I allowed to hear the truth now? Or am I still not ready to hear it?" I inquired, hoping for a yes. To my dismay however, Zekrom shook his head with a low growl. I sighed, holding my head.

**_"I am afraid not, my child... You still have a long way to go in order to hear the truth... I assure you... the truth will be very painful to you." _**Zekrom warned as I narrowed my eyes in suspicion. "Painful, huh... Could it really hurt me that much?" I repeated with wonder.

"Then, why have you summoned me here now?" I asked, demanding to know. **_"I have to come to let you know... As the morning comes, you will face a harsh trial... Will you be able to overcome the trial? Or will you be defeated?" _**Zekrom explained.

I blinked, knowing what the legendary Pokémon meant. He meant about my decision to face off against the poacher that had kidnapped most of the Pokémon in Pinwheel Forest. Now that he asked... I felt like I had lost my answer now. I bit my lips, not knowing what to say.

But soon, after remembering my promise to Petilil, I glared up at Zekrom with confidence and blurted out my answer. "Yes... I'm confident I can defeat this trial you call it. I made a promise to one of my new friends... Breaking it is not an option." I said with a serious tone.

**_"A brave answer, yet unreassuring. You look and sound as if you are confident... But deep down, I can tell that you're afraid... Afraid of what might happen if you fail... You're afraid of what would happen to your friends... your Pokémon friends, that is."_** Zekrom growled.

I felt my heart beat loudly... He knows it... He knows how I'm truly feeling. After all, he said before that he was a part of me... So, knowing how I truly feel would be one of them. "You're right... I am afraid, in truth. But like I said, I have no intention of breaking the promise I made." I declared.

Zekrom made a low roar, which sounded like he was amused. **_"Very well... I will accept your decision. But I will tell you this. A mysterious ally will come to your aid... A legendary Pokémon that didn't trust humans in the past." _**Zekrom explained.

"A Pokémon... that didn't trust humans in the past? Are you talking about... one of the members of the Swords of Justice?" I asked, knowing one of those three could be the one. **_"Correct. It's a surprise though, since one of the members is helping a human."_** Zekrom growled.

Hearing Zekrom say the human word out loud felt painful a little, but I shook it off, before clearing my throat. "Alright... Even if it could be a surprise, I might as well have to accept it, since she could be intentionally, or unintentionally be helping out." I said with a serious tone.

Hearing my answer, Zekrom lowered his head a little, which seemed like a bow. Then, the world started to fade away, a I knew I was about to wake up. This time, I didn't resist, knowing that I could be summoned anytime while I sleep. I smiled before I headed back to reality.

**End POV**

**End Music**

**Reality**

_"Big bro! Come on, wake up!"_ Riolu's voice barked. "Petilil! Petilil!" Petilil's voice cried along. Groaning, Takeru weakly opened his eyes, blinking them several times. "H-Hm? Is it morning already?" Takeru groaned sleepily as he got up, shaking his head.

"Yeah... It's a bright morning! Shouldn't we be doing something important right now?" Riolu reminded as the Nuvema boy blinked. "Yeah... That poacher... That's who we need to deal with." Takeru grunted. He wore his jacket and rolled up his sleeping bag, before putting it in his bag.

"Alright, let's go!" Takeru called._ "Right!" _"Til!" Riolu and Petilil agreed. So, with the preparations ready, Takeru moved along, along with Riolu and Petilil. They all hoped to find the poacher so that they could free the forest Pokémon. As they were walking, they heard an explosion.

The ground shook a little, causing the three to be startled a little. _"What was that!?"_ Riolu yelped in surprise. Just then, the Nuvema boy noticed smoke coming out of the trees from ahead as he gritted his teeth. "It's the poacher..." Takeru grunted as he ran ahead.

_"Wait! Big bro!"_ "Petilil!" The two Pokémon cried as they ran after the human. The figure in the shadows watched as she saw the smoke as well._** "Hmph. Pathetic humans... How dare they make terror in this forest?" **_The figure snapped. She took off, heading for the smoke as well.

As Takeru got closer to the smoke, he blinked, noticing two men caging a few forest Pokémon. "Hey! You!" Takeru snapped, calling for the two men. That got their attention as they scoffed at the Nuvema boy. "What's this? Who are you, kid?" The first man asked.

But then, the second man gasped, pointing st Takeru. "A-Ah! Boss! This is the brat that drove me off while I was trying to catch that Petilil!" The poacher pointed out as the first poacher scoffed. "You lost to this KID? Idiot!" The first poacher snapped angrily.

"F-Forgive me, boss..." The second poacher pleaded, as the boss scoffed. He glared at Takeru and Riolu, along with Petilil, who was hiding behind the Nuvema boy's right leg. "So... You must be the kid that defeated my minion. Tch. You're such a big pain, kid, you know that?" The poacher snapped.

"Keep your mouth shut. I didn't come all this way just to hear your babbling, old man. I came here to liberate the Pokémon you've captured in this forest." Takeru scoffed, narrowing his eyes as the poacher twitched his eyes. "Why you snobby little... Come out! Galvantula!" The poacher called.

He summoned the evolved EleSpider Pokémon out for battle as he turned to his assistant. "What are you standing there for!? Call your Pokémon out!" The boss demanded angrily. "Y-Yes, sir... Let's go, Mandibuzz!" The second poacher called, summoning a new Pokémon.

The Nuvema boy took out his Pokédex, scanning the Dark-Flying Type._ "__Mandibuzz, the Bone Vulture Pokémon. Mandibuzz swoops down from the sky, attacking weakened Pokémon. It builds its nest out of bones it collects."_ Takeru's Pokédex buzzed.

"Joltik and Tranquill! I need your help!" Takeru called, summoning his two Pokémon. Both Tranquill and Joltik appeared, ready to aid their trainer. "Heh... How pathetic. Galvantula, use Thunderbolt!" The boss yelled. "Mandibuzz, use Dark Pulse!" The second poacher yelled.

Both Thunderbolt and Dark Pulse came to the Nuvema boy and his Pokémon's ways, as Takeru glared. "Joltik! Counter Thunderbolt with Electro Ball! And Tranquill, use Air Cutter to counter Dark Pulse!" Takeru shouted. Electro Ball and Dark Pulse was launched, interfering with the two attacks.

"Now, Galvantula! Use Signal Beam!" "Mandibuzz, use Sky Attack!" The poachers yelled. As the EleSpider Pokémon shot Signal Beam towards Joltik, while Mandibuzz dove down her Sky Attack at Tranquill. "Hold it! Tranquill, dodge! And Joltik, dodge!" Takeru cried.

Both attacks were evaded, causing a startle for the poachers. "What!?" The poachers snapped. "Joltik! Use Electro Ball on Mandibuzz!" Takeru yelled. At the call, the Attaching Pokémon boasted Mandibuzz away with the Electro Ball attack, causing her to be shocked.

"And Tranquill! Use Aerial Ace on Galvantula!" Takeru yelled. Tranquill let out a loud chirp, slashing Galvantula multiple times. They both were knocked out as the poachers gasped. "Why these useless Pokémon! Argh!" The boss snapped as he returned Galvatula back.

The second poacher returned Mandibuzz back as the boss gritted his teeth. "That's it... You're really making me mad now! Let's go, Beeheeyem!" The boss yelled, summoning his best Pokémon. A UFO alien looking Pokémon appeared, causing Takeru to scan it with his Pokédex again.

_"__Beheeyem, the Cerebral Pokémon. Beheeyem can use its psychic power to control its opponents minds and memories."_ Takeru's Pokédex buzzed. "Control their minds and memories? That doesn't sound so good..." Takeru grunted as the boss laughed.

"Ha ha ha! That's right! And my first test subject will be your Pokémon! Beeheeyem! Use Psychic on Joltik and Tranquill! Brainwash their minds! Force them to attack that little brat!" The boss yelled maniacally. Takeru blinked, before taking out his two Pokéballs.

"If that's the case, return! Tranquill and Joltik!" Takeru called. Just before Beeheeyem could brainwash his two Pokémon, they were safely returned to their Pokéballs, much to the boss' anger. "How dare you!? Beeheeyem! Use Hyper Beam!" The boss bellowed.

Hyper Beam was aimed as Beeheeym attacked without hesitation. "Argh!" Takeru managed to jump out of the way, while holding Petilil and Riolu in his arms. The two little Pokémon shrieked in shock as they were held into the human's arms. "Keep firing! Don't stop!" The boss yelled.

His maniac expression left his ally frightened of what his boss has become. In the meantime, Beeheeyem shot more Hyper Beams, along with using Shadow Ball and Charge Beam. _"Argh... I can't keep this up! At this rate...!" _Takeru thought as he attempted to dodge all the attacks.

_"B-Big bro! You can't dodge all of them!"_ Riolu warned in concern. "Petilil! Petilil!" Petilil cried, sounding like a plead. "I know... But losing... is not an option! If I were to send either of you in battle, that man would just use Beeheeyem to manipulate you all... So dodging is all I could right now!" Takeru grunted.

Another Shadow Ball was launched, forcing Takeru to dodge again.

**Back to Ash...**

For Ash, Iris, Cilan, and Burgh, they had quite a morning. First, Pikachu warned to everyone that Sewaddle was missing, as it was abducted by a Patrat, only for the group to follow and see why Patrst attempted to adbuct Sewaddle, only to see that one was in pain.

Burgh deduces it as a stomachache, causing him to give the Patrat a medicine. Once the recovery was going, the group found Sewaddle trying to be shaken off by a Deerling! The Deerling ran off with Sewaddle on its back, as both were headed straight for a cliff!

Ash used Sewaddle to use a String Shot on him in order to get Sewaddle to safety, only for the wind to blow Sewaddle away, knocking him into a river that led to a waterfall. Ash nearly fell off, until Burgh sent out Leavanny to catch the two with String Shot.

As the Kanto trainer and the Sewing Pokémon was pulled back to safety, everyone noticed that Sewaddle's lead clothing was torn by the struggle with Deerling. So, the Castelia Gym Leader had Leavanny use its clothes making skills, designing a new leaf outfit for Sewaddle.

It was a success, as Sewaddle felt more comfortable now. Burgh complimented Ash for rescuing Sewaddle. At the same time, the Sewing Pokémon started to feel affectionate around Ash, allowing Ash to catch him now. "Alright! Go, Poké-" Ash started.

He prepared to throw the ball, only for everyone to hear an explosion. Ash, Iris, Cilan, and Burgh all grew startled to see smoke coming out for the trees ahead. "What the!? What's going on over there!?" Ash exclaimed. Burgh widened his eyes before narrowing them.

"Poachers..." Burgh whispered. "Poachers!? You mean, Pokémon Poachers!?" Iris exclaimed in shock. "Yes... There were reports of Pokémon Poachers capturing Pokémon from the Pinwheel Forest in order to get money in exchange." Burgh explained darkly.

"What!? That's horrible!" "Pikachu!" "Sewaddle!" Ash snapped, with Pikachu and Sewaddle agreeing. "This calls for an emergency ingredient! We should go to that smoke then!" Cilan called. The others agreed as the Kanto trainer made a thought about his Unova friend.

"Maybe Takeru could be there..." Ash whispered before he ran with the others to head for the smoke. As they got closer, there was another explosion nearby. "Hurry! I think we're getting closer!" Cilan called. That inspired everyone else to pick up the pace.

As the group got to where the explosion occurred, they spotted two men with a Beeheeyem at their side. Behind them were cages of Grass and Bug Type Pokémon! Other than that, the one who was getting attacked was Takeru, Riolu, and Petilil! "Takeru!" Ash called.

The Nuvema boy blinked, turning to see his tree friends and the Castelia Gym Leader. "What... Everyone?" Takeru called. Riolu and Petilil glanced at the four humans and the three Pokémon, as a Riolu was relieved while Petilil was curious and a bit concerned.

"What the!? There are more brats!?" The boss snapped angrily. "B-Boss! That guy! He's the Castelia City Gym Leader! We can't win against them like this!" The poacher gasped. His suggestion of retreating left the boss furious as he glared furiously at his minion.

"SHUT UP! SHUT UP, YOU PATHETIC COWARD! I've got Pokémon to sell in a black market, and I don't plan on losing them now! I'll destroy anyone that gets in my way! Even if means eliminating you brats!" The boss roared angrily. "Stop this right now!" Iris shrieked.

"Let those Pokémon go right now!" Ash demanded. "Pika Pika!" "Sewaddle!" "Axew ew!" Pikachu, Axew, and Sewaddle agreed. "You have no right of capturing these innocent Pokémon! I suggest you let them go or face the consequences of your evil heart!" Burgh demanded.

Takeru got back up, despite of the minor injuries he took as the boss laughed. "Ha ha ha! Me!? Surrender!? What a big mouth! Beeheeyem! Use Hyper Beam!" The boss called. Beeheeyem launched a Hyper Beam attack as Ash tried to counter it.

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt to counter it!" Ash yelled. The Electric Type did his job of negating Hyper Beam, while hitting the Cerebral Pokémon with the Electric Type attack. Takeru blinked, seeing his chance. "Now, Riolu! Use ThunderPunch, quick!" Takeru called.

As Beeheeyem was stunned, Riolu managed to wrap the battle up with ThunderPunch, punching Beeheeyem to the ground, causing it to faint. "What!? Again!? You useless trash!" The boss snapped. He raised his foot, like he was about to kick and stomp on his Psychic Type.

At that, Takeru widened his eyes as he ran for the man. "Stop it!" The Nuvema boy snapped as he grabbed the man's foot, knocking him down. The poacher boss grunted in surprise as he fell to the ground. His eyes were more maniacal as he gritted his teeth.

"How dare you get in my way, you brat! If I can't take the captured Pokémon with me... I can at least beat you all up right here!" The boss bellowed. He kicked Takeru hard on the stomach, knocking him back to the ground. "Gah-" Takeru gasped as he fell to the ground.

"TAKERU!" "NO!" Cilan and Iris gasped in shock. _"Big bro! No!"_ Riolu yelled as he ran over to his grunting human brother. "Petilil!? Petilil!" Petilil cried in surprise. The Nuvema boy grunted as he got up, coughing little amount of blood from the kick he felt.

For the poacher boss, he took out his electrical brass knuckles, preparing to beat the group up, with the first being Takeru. "Now you're mine! YOU LITTLE BRAT!" The boss bellowed. It was too late for Takeru to dodge as he weakly looked up, only to see the man in front of him.

"Takeru, NO!" Ash yelled. He attempted to save his friend, only for something to attack the man. Winds of leaves slashed at the man, causing him to scream in pain, as his clothes were torn off, leaving him with only an undershirt and his underwear.

He was also covered in scars with the sharp leaves that made not deep slash marks on his body. Everyone gasped to see the sudden attack as the Nuvema boy looked up. He couldn't see the face of the Pokémon, but she was green and looked strong and tall.

The Pokémon looked like it was bowing to the Nuvema boy in gratitude before taking its leave. The others seemed to have noticed as Iris was surprised. "What... Who was that Pokémon?" Iris asked. "The Guardian of the Forest... Virizion!" Burgh answered.

"Guardian of the Forest?" Ash repeated in confusion. Takeru slowly got up, seeing where Virizion has disappeared off to. He took out his Pokédex, registering the Grassland Pokémon in his Pokédex once more. The picture of Virizion showed up once again.

_"Virizion, the Grassland Pokémon. Virizion__ fought humans in order to protect its friends. Legends about it continue to be passed down." _Takeru's Pokédex buzzed. "Petilil..." Petilil's eyes sparkled, seeing that she has witnessed the appearance of the Guardian of the Forest.

"Virizion..." Takeru whispered before he sighed, getting up. The others ran to him in concern. "Hey, Takeru! Are you okay!?" Ash called, seeing Takeru's wound on the stomach. "Yeah... I'm fine. I just let my guard down..." Takeru answered as Riolu frowned.

"You really has us worried there! You... You could've..." Iris started, before her eyes grew teary a little. "Iris? Are you... crying?" Takeru asked in surprise, causing Ash, Cilan, and Burgh to turn to her. "No... I'm just relieved... that you're okay after being separated from us." Iris giggled.

"Axew..." Axew agreed, but knowing how his trainer truly felt.

**Later...**

It was sunset as Burgh guided the group to the forest's exit, as well as taking them to the Pokémon Center, where Ash had exchanged Pidove for Sewaddle after he captured him. For the Nuvema boy, his wounds were treated but was told to stay off training for a bit.

For Petilil, she thanked both Takeru and Riolu for saving her forest Pokémon and for defeating the awful poachers. The two poachers were arrested by Officer Jenny, after the group have placed the two in the cage where they couldn't get out, despite of their persistence.

When the poachers were taken away, Petilil asked the Nuvema boy if she could join her team in gratitude. "Are you sure? What about your friends?" Takeru asked. "Petilil! Petilil!" Petilil explained as Riolu translated her words for his human brother.

_"She said that it'll be fine. She's more than happy to join you if you would approve, big bro." _Riolu translated. The Fighting Type had cried for his injured human brother, despite the wound being small. But thankfully, Takeru was able to comfort him to stop him from crying.

The Nuvema boy gave some thoughts about this, before he smiled approvingly. "Alright... You can join the group. Welcome to the gang, Petilil." Takeru chuckled, taking out his sixth Pokéball. Petilil cried out in joy and touched the Pokéball's button, allowing it to suck her inside.

The ball shook a little, before it clicked, resulting in Takeru successfully capturing Petilil. The Nuvema boy smiled, as Riolu grinned along, seeing a new friend was added to their party. For the Kanto trainer, he summoned Sewaddle back out to greet him once more.

"Sewaddle!" The Sewing Pokémon cried. At the summon, Ash picked up his new Bug Type, greeting it with a grin. "Nice to see you again, Sewaddle!" Ash chuckled. "Sew wa!" Sewaddle cried out softly. The two bumped heads with each other, making a nice greeting.

That inspired Burgh as he gasped. "Ah! Sweet inspiration! Yes! Thanks to Ash and Sewaddle, I've got an idea for my next project! I'm off now to Castelia City, so I'll see you all there!" Burgh called. He ran off, causing Ash to call for him. "But, Burgh! Wait!" Ash called.

Takeru blinked before he stood besides Ash as Burgh stopped, with the wind blowing his dark green robe. He glanced at the two boys with a smile. "I'll be waiting for you two at the Castelia Gym! Farewell!" Burgh called, before running off once again.

The Nuvema boy and the Kanto trainer blinked together before they chuckled. "Great! Bye! See you there!" Ash called, saying his farewell. "Sew wa!" Sewaddle called, saying goodbye as well. "Goodbye, Burgh!" "Safe travels!" Iris and Cilan called along.

"Best wishes, Burgh!" "Let's meet again someday!" "Pika Pika!" Takeru called, as Pikachu and Riolu cried out their farewells as well. With that done, the Castelia Gym Leader is soon out of sight, leaving Ash to elbow playfully on the Nuvema boy's left arm.

"Hey, Takeru! You hear that? Our third Gym battle is just around the corner!" Ash exclaimed. "I'm aware of that, Ash... A Bug Type user, huh..." Takeru chuckled, before thinking about Burgh's type speciality. Before he could think, Ash had another question for him.

"So, how did you meet Petilil? I've just got to know!" Ash requested as the Nuvema boy blinked. "Huh? Well, that's... It's a long story..." Takeru chuckled nervously. "I would like to know, too!" Cilan requested. "Me too! What was it like?" Iris asked along.

"Pika Pika!" "Axew ew!" "Sewaddle!" Even the three Pokémon were curious to know about Takeru's meeting with Petilil! The Nuvema boy sweat dropped, knowing he couldn't escape from this request. "Ah ha ha ha... That's..." Takeru started, while laughing nervously.

"Why me...? Does the Unova region hate me right now?" Takeru groaned, as he face palmed.

To be continued...

**Takeru's Team:**

**Riolu: (M): (Force Palm, Blaze Kick, ThunderPunch, Dig)**

**Joltik: (M): (Electro Ball, Signal Beam, String Shot, Electroweb)**

**Tranquill: (M): (Air Cutter, Gust, Aerial Ace, Roost)**

**Tepig: (M): (Flamethrower, Smog, Flame Charge, Rollout)**

**Zorua: (F): (Scratch, Leer, Pursuit, ?)**

**Petilil: (F): (Magical Leaf, Sleep Powder, Stun Spore, Mega Drain)**

Next chapters:

**Chapter 37: A Connoisseuse!? Or a Fraud!?**

**Chapter 38: Cilan VS Burgundy! It's Evaluation Time!**

**Chapter 39: The Triple Ducklett Thieves!**

**Chapter 40: Deino VS Ducklett! A New Choice!**

**Chapter 41: The Past? Or is it Memories!?**

**Next chapter preview:**

Cilan: It looks like a brand new PokéMart is about to open up! There's even a line for trainers to be evaluated for how strong their bond with their Pokémon!

Ash: Yeah? Well, I can't wait to get evaluated for how close I am with Sewaddle! I just hope it's good enough...

Takeru: That goes for me, too. After that poacher incident, I wanted to see on how close I am with Petitil.

Burgundy: Oh? You boys... Your Pokémon... are all simply HORRIBLE! Both of you need to make a complete change to make it much better!

Cilan: What's all the ruckus about? Huh? Aren't you Burgundy? The challenger who faced me in a battle before?

Burgundy: Oui... And I plan to have my revenge here, Mr. Connoisseur! I'm going to make you eat those words for what horrible things you said to me!


	37. A Connoisseuse? Or a Fraud?

**Chapter 37: A Connoisseuse!? Or a Fraud!?**

"What's that?" Ash asked, pointing up ahead. The four trainers were currently heading for Castelia City, where Ash and Takeru's Gym battle with Burgh is about to be held soon. Along the way there, they noticed a giant building that seemed to be brand new.

Curious about the building, the four got closer, until they had arrived in front of the entrance. Banners, decorations, and ad posters were all around the building, much to their amazement. Even flowers were being used as decorations as well! Cilan smiled, knowing what this could be.

"From the looks of it, I'd say this is a brand, new PokéMart!" Cilan guessed. Takeru was amazed, while both Ash and Iris were in awe. "They must be having their grand opening!" Iris exclaimed in excitement. "Axew ew!" Axew agreed, while amazed as well.

"Let's go check it out!" Ash called. The four trainers nodded together, with the same going for their three Pokémon. Once that was agreed, the group headed inside the PokéMart, expecting to see some new supplies and items for Pokémon and trainers.

**(Pokémon: BW Best Wishes Opening: Be An Arrow! (English Subbed))**

(Ash, Takeru, Cilan, and Iris are running with Pikachu, Riolu, Pansage, and Axew, with colorful arrows flying above them as they ran to a light!)

**_One swiftly running arrow!_**

(A blue pillar and orange pillar appears, showing Ash and Pikachu, with Takeru and Riolu)

_**One supple arrow!**_

(A purple pillar appears, showing Iris and Axew)

_**One thinking arrow!**_

(A yellow green pillar appears, showing Cilan)

_**That's us now!**_

(Ash, Takeru, Cilan, and Iris stand together as they move towards the air together)

**_Cross the green mountain, remove the white clouds_**

(The Japanese opening appears)

_**Let's colorfully push through the wilderness, become an arrow!**_

(A group of wild Pokémon from the five regions run or fly along)

_**Even if we suddenly turn around, twist, and shake**_

(Ash, Cilan, Takeru, and Iris are running alongside with the Water Type Pokémon on the sea)

(Meloetta suddenly appears, snatching Ash's hat from his head)

_**There's no way that we'll get separated!**_

(In Prof. Oak's laboratory, all of Ash's Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh were there; Charizard gives a thumbs up to the screen)

_**Sometimes I can no longer see the road, and don't know where to go**_

(Ash and Takeru were stopped by giant pillars, blocking their way)

_**But you will always be by my side!**_

(Pikachu and Riolu appears, with Pikachu using Thunderbolt, while Riolu uses Aura Sphere)

(Both trainers and Pokémon smile happily at each other)

_**Even the bright sun is hidden by the clouds sometimes**_

(Keldeo, Cobalion, Virizion, and Terrakion stands together on top of an ice)

(Kyurem appears, turning into either Black or White Kyurem)

_**But meetings will always bring light!**_

(Cynthia and Alder smile at the four trainers standing at the bottom)

(Hikaru and Dawn comes by, with Infernape using Flamethrower, as Piplup uses Hydro Pump)

(Jessie, James, and Meowth let out evil smirks)

_**One too hot arrow!**_

(Stephan and Sawk pose together, standing together)

_**Two competitive arrows!**_

(Trip and Servine appears together after the dust clears)

_**Three helpful arrows!**_

(Bianca comes by with Pignite, as the two fall together)

_**So the heart will never break!**_

(Trip, Dawn, Hikaru, Iris, Ash, Takeru, Cilan, Bianca, and Stephan stand together with their Pokémon partners)

_**Aim forward as an arrow!**_

(Everyone shoots in the air, towards the sky)

_**Shine greater than even now as an arrow!**_  
_**Thrust toward your dream!**_

(Everyone combines together, creating a huge arrow, shooting towards the building)

(Takeru, Ash, Cilan, and Iris all stand together with all of their current Pokémon)

(Ash: Pikachu, Oshawott, Snivy, Tepig, Pidove, Scraggy)  
(Takeru: Riolu, Tranquill, Tepig, Joltik, Zorua, Petilil)  
(Iris: Axew and Excadrill)  
(Cilan: Pansage and Dwebble)

**(Opening ends)**

"Oh wow!" Iris cried out in amazement. Ash, Cilan, and Takeru were all amazed to see the inside of the building. "It's huge!" Ash commented in amazement. "What do you expect? Everybody must've come here to see the grand opening!" Takeru reminded.

_"Are we going to buy something, big bro?" _Riolu asked, looking up at his human brother. The Nuvema boy gave a thought, unsure of what to say. "Don't know... We do need more supplies and medicines, though..." Takeru recalled, remembering their low stock of food and medicine.

They all walked around, with Iris taking the first look. "There's so much to see, though! Where to first?" Iris asked, looking around. She blinked, before noticing a jewelry section straight ahead. "Oh! Over there!" Iris called, running up ahead. "Iris! Where are you going?" Takeru called.

He ran after the nature girl as Ash and Cilan watched, chuckling together. "I'll bet they have every kinds of Pokémon food and medicines in the world here! Wow!" Ash exclaimed, looking around in amazement. Cilan seemed to agree as he glanced at his Kanto friend.

"PokéMart usully has quite the extensive selection, but this one's more extensive than normal!" Cilan commented, sounding impressed with the items and supplies the mart has. For Iris and Takeru, they ran over to the jewelry section to see what accessories there were.

"Iris! Wait up! You can't just run off like that!" Takeru complained. "Well, excuse me! There's just so many accessories around! You know I can't help when new things are on display!" Iris scoffed. Both Takeru and Riolu sweat dropped at that, before the boy face palmed.

"I don't believe this..." Takeru grumbled. He watched as Iris scanned the jewelry and accessories on display. "There's so many accessories..." Iris repeated, until the saleswoman noticed the two. "Aw... Look how cute!" The woman giggled.

The two trainers and their starters blinked to see the woman coming towards them. She glanced at both Riolu and Axew before showing two jewels to the two trainers. "Don't you think both Riolu and Axew would look stunning with these beauties?" The woman asked.

Takeru blinked, walking over to see the two jewels. "A Dragon Gem and a Fighting Gem..." Takeru pointed out in surprise. "Right! This glorious Dragon Gem will fashionably raise Axew's Dragon Type moves one gloriously wonderful time!" The woman assured.

"And as for Riolu, the same goes for this Fighting Gem! It will be able to power up Riolu's Fighting Type moves during its battles!" The woman added, turning to the Emanation Pokémon. Iris was amazed, while Takeru was intrigued, seeing the two power stones.

"Whoa... Hm... Think we'll pass!" Iris called out. "That goes for us too, ma'am." Takeru added. "As you wish! But please, take a moment and look around!" The woman replied politely, before taking her leave to attend to her business. The Nuvema boy sighed.

_"Is something wrong, big bro?"_ Riolu asked in curiosity and concern. "No... It's nothing, Riolu. I'm just a bit tired, is all." Takeru assured with a soft smile. The little Emanation Pokémon blinked in concern, before nodding in reluctance. _"Alright..."_ Riolu grunted.

Just then, as the Nuvema boy took a few looks at the display cases, he found a stone that intrigued him. "Um, miss. Is this a Sun Stone?" Takeru asked, pointing at the sun-like stone. "A Sun Stone? Really?" Iris asked, amazed to hear it.

She looked at the stone and was in awe. The woman came over at the same time with a smile. "That's right! This is the Sun Stone! Would you like to buy it?" The woman asked. The Nuvema boy gave a small nod, as Iris turned to her friend in confusion.

"But, why would you want a Sun Stone?" Iris asked. "Petilil can evolve into Lilligant with this stone. That's why. I'm not planning to evolve her just yet, though..." Takeru explained, before thinking about his recently caught Grass Type Pokemon. "Alright! Here you go!" The woman called.

She handed Takeru the stone, as the Nuvema boy paid for it. Iris watched as Takeru took his leave, following after Ash. As the Nuvema boy approached, the Kanto trainer noticed Takeru as he noticed the stone in Takeru's hand. "Whoa, Takeru... What is that?" Ash asked.

"A Sun Stone... I'm going to have Petilil evolve soon when the time is right." Takeru explained. That made Ash and Pikachu amazed before they nodded. "I see..." Ash started, until he blinked. "Huh? What's going on?" Ash asked, pointing to a line ahead.

The Nuvema duo boy turned to see a group of people lining up for something. Cilan walked up, explaining to the two. "They're waiting in line to get a Connoisseur shop, where a Connoisseur checks compatibility!" Cilan explained. Ash blinked at that.

"Connoisseur compatibility?" Ash repeated. "Yeah... Trainers or people go there so that a Pokémon Connoissehr would evaluate on how well that person is getting with their Pokémon, while giving them advice at the same time!" Takeru explained.

That made the Kanto trainer amazed as he turned to Cilan. "Wow... So you're not the only Connoisseur?" Ash asked. Takeru sweat dropped, while Cilan laughed. "Of course not, Ash! Every Pokémon Connoisseur has a rank!" Cilan corrected with a chuckle.

He cleared his throat, before making his explanation. "One must be evaluated by the Pokémon Connoisseur Association! Then a Connoisseur is ranked! C-class, then up to B-class, A-class, and the highest ranking... S-class!" Cilan explained.

"Right... For a Connoisseur to perform a compatibility check, they have to be an A-class or an S-class rank. A C or B-class would have to give assistance to those two rankings." Takeru explained. "You sure do know a lot about Connoisseurs, Takeru! Are you one?" Ash complimented.

"Not really... I just learn it from hearing Cilan, who told me about my compatibility with Riolu once in the past." Takeru explained. _"Yeah! And he says that our compatibility is unbreakable!"_ Riolu barked happily, causing the three trainers to laugh a little.

"Like Takeru said, it just so happens that I am an A-class!" Cilan explained, gesturing to himself. Ash blinked, feeling more intrigued. They all looked at the curtains where a trainer seemed to be getting the compatibility check right now.

Once that check was done, the curtains opened, revealing a woman who seemed to be the Connoisseur checking the boy and his Minccino! "That's great! Thanks very much!" The boy thanked happily as he ran with his Minccino in his arms. "Next in line, please!" The woman called.

A girl let out a squeal, feeling excited. "That's me!" The girl exclaimed happily. She ran inside with the Connoisseur closing the curtains to make another evaluation. Ash was surprised to see that the Connoisseur was a female. "Hey! It's a girl!" Ash pointed out.

"Correct! The proper name for a female Connoisseur is Connoisseuse! Why don't you two have some consultations with her? I think it's good to get a little feedback from someone else once in a while!" Cilan suggested. Takeru blinked, before he took out Petilil's Pokéball.

"That doesn't seem like a bad idea. I do need to know how my bond is with Petilil right now since I recently caught her..." Takeru agreed with a soft smile. _"What about me, big bro?" _Riolu asked. Takeru chuckled, before rubbing his Fighting Type's head.

"And you too, Riolu." Takeru assured. "I'll do it! Then, I can ask her how compatible I am with my Sewaddle!" Ash replied, taking out his newly caught Pokémon. Cilan nodded before making his decision. "I'll go search for some Pokémon food products!" Cilan called.

"Alright then. We'll meet back here once we get our check!" Takeru declared. "Agreed!" Cilan agreed along. So, with the decision made, the two boys headed to the back of the line to get their compatibility check, while Cilan looked for some Pokémon food products.

At the back of the line, Ash frowned, seeing how long it is. "Man... This line is pretty long..." Ash complained a bit. "Pika..." Pikachu agreed. The Nuvema boy chuckled nervously, before comforting his Kanto friend. "You can't always be the first, right?" Takeru reminded.

"I guess..." Ash groaned. Riolu and Pikachu nodded to each other, before they sighed at the same time. But just then, a voice called out to the two boys. "Excuse me! You two!" A girl's voice called. Both Ash and Takeru turned to see a hand waving towards them.

It seemed to be coming from the curtains on a small booth. "You two don't have to wait in that silly line! I'm a Connoisseuse, too!" The Connoisseuse called. This made Ash excited, while leaving Takeru confused. "Wow! Does that mean you can see us both at the same time?" Ash asked.

"Pika?" _"H-Huh?"_ Pikachu seemed eager as well, while Riolu was confused as well. "Bien sur! Come right in!" The Connoisseuse called. Immediately, Ash walked up, while pulling Takeru's wrist. "Thanks so much! Come on!" Ash called as Takeru let out a startled yelp.

"Bon! Have a seat, you two!" The Connoisseuse called. She pushed the two boys in the two chairs while she sat on hers, facing the two. "There you go!" The Connoisseuse giggled. Ash blinked, while Takeru shook his head in surprise. He looked to see the Connoisseuse who faced him and Ash.

She had purple hair, with lilac eyes. She wore a Connoisseuse vest, showing herself as a Pokémon Connoisseuse. But something about her made the Nuvema boy a bit suspicious as he blinked, before shaking the feeling off. For Ash, he smiled, before making his introduction.

"I'm Ash! And I'm a Pokémon Trainer! And this is my best buddy, Pikachu!" Ash explained. "Pikachu!" Pikachu cried with a smile. "My name's Takeru, a Pokémon Teainer from Nuvema Town. And here is my partner, Riolu!" Takeru explained, introducing himself and Riolu.

_"Nice to meet you..."_ Riolu said nervously. The Connoisseuse cleared her throat, making her introduction. "My name is Burgundy! I may not look like it, but I'm a highly skilled Connoisseuse ranked by the Pokémon Connoisseur Association!" Burgundy explained.

"Wow..." "Huh..." Ash was amazed, while Takeru blinked in surprise. "So... Besides compatibility, you two can also ask me about preparing Pokémon food, battle strategy, and even the choice of accessories!" Burgundy explained with a confident look on her face.

Ash glanced at his Unova friend, who shrugged for him to go first. With that, the Kanto trainer began his explanation. "Okay! So, I'm on a journey in order to become a Pokémon Master! I was hoping if you could help me with my compatibility between me and my Pokémon!" Ash started.

Burgundy interrupted by getting close to Ash's face with an excited look. "You mean Pikachu! It's an extremely rare Pokémon in the Unova region! And that goes for this Riolu, too!" Burgundy exclaimed, staring at both Pikachu and Riolu, much to their surprise.

She sniffed the two, before making her statement. "Pikachu even has a rare fragrance! The same goes for Roplu as well!" Burgundy commented, causing Takeru to sweat drop. "We can tell... We don't see them often in the Unova region..." Takeru sighed, smiling.

"Right! Besides, I don't need to know about Pikachu! No doubt we're a perfect match!" Ash assured. "Pikachu!" Pikachu agreed. "The same with me and Riolu. I already been told by a Connoisseur friend of mine that Riolu and I are a perfect match!" Takeru added.

_"Right... We have a strong bond with each other."_ Riolu barked nervously. The Connoisseuse frowned, before backing away as Ash took out his Pokéball. "You see... I wanted to ask you about this one! Come on out, Sewaddle!" Ash explained.

He summoned Sewaddle out, who cried his name. Burgundy grinned while taking out her Unova Pokédex. "Bon! I'd be more than happy to have a look at you two! Why don't you try as well?" Burgundy suggested, turning to Takeru, who blinked in surprise.

"Oh... Right. I wanted to know about my Petilil, you see..." Takeru explained, summoning Petilil. Petilil blinked, before making her happy cry for being sent out. "Oui! Very well then! It's evaluating time, s'il vous plait!" Burgundy called, spinning around.

She began her evaluation by scanning Sewaddle and Petilil in her Pokédex, while looking at Takeru's yellow-black hair, along with Ash's spiky hair, much to the boys' surprise. "Hm... Ah... Ho Ho Ho..." Burgundy mumbled as she studied the four, before Ash asked about the results.

"So? What do you think?" Ash asked. "Hm... For you... The partnership between you and Sewaddle is... WORST THAN EVER! And for Petilil... It's the same with YOU!" Burgundy bellowed, shocking Petilil, while startling the two boys with the sudden outburst.

"Wait... What are you saying?" Takeru inquired. "You see... This Sewaddle's Ability is called Swarm. But you would be much more compatible with a Sewaddle that has the special ability called Chlorophyll." Burgundy explained, before turning to Takeru and Petitil.

"And as for this Petilil, it may pretend to be strong, but deep down, it's weak as a newborn Lillipup, being shy to fight and weak because of it!" Burgundy scolded. "But, how come!?" Ash asked in shock. The question startled Burgudny as she tried to find the reason.

"Uh... It's just because... Look! Are you questioning a Connoisseuse that's been recognized by the Pokémon Connoisseur Association?! Look, the truth is, you can find Grass and Bug Type Pokémon everywhere." Burgundy reminded before she sighed.

"Now you two, take my expert Connoisseuse advice and go out and catch a different Sewaddle and Petilil!" Burgundy suggested. "For real!?" Ash exclaimed in shock. "Pika!?" _"No way! That can't be true!" _Pikachu and a Riolu were bewildered at the advice as well.

For Petilil, she grew hurt and angrily shot Stun Spore at Burgundy, who shrieked in shock. Then, Sewaddle attacked her face with a String Shot attack! Both Takeru and Ash gasped as they returned their Grass Types. "Ah! Sewaddle, return!" "Petilil, come back!" The two boys called, recalling their Pokémon.

Burgundy struggled to deal with the spores and the strings as she managed to get free. "Why... That nerve of a little pesky Bug and Grass Type!" Burgundy snapped angrily as Takeru narrowed his eyes. He glared at the Connoisseuse before making his scolding to Burgundy.

"You were the one who provoked them, making them feel hurt and angry. So it's you that should be taking the blame." Takeru snapped as Burgundy looked back, glaring at the Nuvema boy. "What did you say!? Argh, whatever! Don't you two have any proper Pokémon you can show me!?" Burgundy snapped.

The Nuvema boy kept glaring as Ash grew nervous. "I've had quite enough of those two! So, show me another of your Pokémon, boys! Now!" Burgundy demanded angrily as Ash gulped. "No thanks! I've got to go!" Ash stuttered as he tried to leave.

"We'll think about this later." Takeru grunted, before getting up. But suddenly, both boys were dragged back to their seats as Burgundy glared at the two. "Didn't you say that you two want to become a Pokémon Master!?" Burgundy snapped as Takeru sighed.

"I never said that..." Takeru grumbled as Riolu shivered a little. "Never mind that! Unless you two have a proper compatibility evaluated, none of your dreams will ever become true!" Burgundy snapped. The Kanto trainer sweat dropped, before taking out another Pokéball.

"Okay then... How about Snivy?" Ash asked. He summoned his Grass Snake Pokémon out as Takeru forced himself to send Joltik out for the evaluation. _"Something tells me that the results will be the same, coming from this 'expert' Connoisseuse."_ Takeru thought, rolling his eyes.

Burgundy seemed interested as she widened her eyes, seeing the two. "Oh? *sniff* *sniff*... Hm... It has a pungent aroma, like pepper with no subtly at all! For Joltik, its eyes are way too immature, along with its stubby little legs. It has a nasty aroma..." Burgundy commented.

That offended both Snivy and Joltik as they glared at the Connoissuse as Burgundy continued. "For Snivy's eyes, they're too sharp like kitchen knives! Now... For the taste test..." Burgundy added, before she lowered to the two Pokémon, sticking her tongue out.

Joltik grew startled as he launched and Electroweb at her face, while Snivy whipped her tongue with a Vine Whip. "EEK! Znivy also as zero respect for ma tongue! And Joltik is no exception with the web!" Burgundy grunted with her whipped tongue sticking out.

This time, Ash glared at her for being offensive. "You shouldn't say stuff like that!" Ash scolded. "You're the one who offended them in the first place, Miss Connoisseuse..." Takeru scolded angrily, feeling annoyed with Burgundy's negative evaluations.

As both boys returned Snivy and Joltik, they sent out their Fire Types Tepig out. "What about our Tepig?" Ash asked. Ash's Tepig appeared, smiling happily at Burgundy. For Takeru's Tepig, he gave a casual smile, along with a determined look on his face.

"Your Tepigs, eh?" Burgundy asked, before she stared at the two Fire Types. For a moment, the three all stared at each other while Ash, Takeru, Riolu, and Pikachu watched. _"You think the results will be the same, big bro?"_ Riolu asked as the Nuvema boy sighed. "I think so..." Takeru sighed.

Back to the Connoisseuse, she gave an annoyed sigh. "It's no good, both of them." Burgundy commented, causing the two to glare at her again. "What do you mean, no good!?" Ash snapped. "Any specific reason why they're no good for you?" Takeru asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Oui, bien sur. That Tepig sits there with a silly smile on its face. It's too good-natured for a Pokémon battle! And I don't have to evaluate it to know that. As for that Tepig, it's determination and its confident look is too spicy, making it no good." Burgundy scoffed.

Like the others, the two Fire Types glared at the arrogant Connoisseuse as Ash's Tepig shot an Ember attack, while Takeru's blasted Burgundy away with a Flamethrower attack! Burgundy screamed as she was burned to crisp by the double Fire Type attacks.

Suddenly, Oshawott appeared out of his Pokéball suddenly, startling both Ash and Takeru. "Man! Why do you keep doing that?" Ash asked, startled. Takeru chuckled nervously before he sent out Zorua for the evaluation. Zorua blinked, before yawning in boredom.

For the Sea Otter Pokémon, he rubbed Burgundy's left leg in an affectionate way, before he winked at the Connoisseuse. Seeing its affection, this made Burgundy disgusted, along with seeing Zorua's face of boredom. She glared at the two, making her negative evaluation.

"Zut! I can't believe its childish behavior! And with that old, stale musty aroma drifting through the air! And for that Zorua, its laziness is quite unacceptable! These two Pokémon are a a complete waste of my time!" Burgundy scoffed, shaking her head in annoyance.

Being offended like the others, Oshawott angrily shot a Water Gun at Burgundy's face, while Zorua scratched Burgundy's face multiple times, causing her to shriek by the two attacks. She groaned as she got scratch marks on her face, along with getting wet.

He two were returned back to their Pokéballs as the boys sent out their Tranquill and Scraggy. "Uh... Okay... How about my Scraggy?" Ash asked. "And my Tranquill? There better not be negative evaluations on him." Takeru warned with narrowed and twitching eyes.

Riolu and Pikachu watched as Burgundy inspected the two. "Hm... Scraggy has the aroma of an old shoe... And Tranquill has the aroma of an old nest... But, even so..." Burgundy explained, causing Scraggy to be a bit satisfied, while Tranquill frowned.

Then, the satisfying evaluation turned to a negative evaluation. "You two ought to be ashamed!" Burgundy scolded. Offended, the Shedding Pokémon headbutts Burgundy on the head, while Tranquill blew a Gust attack at the Connoisseuse, much to her shock.

Takeru started to get annoyed as he and Ash returned their last Pokémon. For the Connoisseuse, she was getting fed up with the Pokémon the two had. "Enough! All of your Pokémon are far too acidic for their own good and they're paralyzing my tongue!" Burgundy snapped angrily.

The Nuvema boy glared at her, before arguing with her. "You are so dense. Haven't you realized that it was because of you they attacked? You offended them the most with your ridiculous negative evaluations, it's no brainier on why they'd attack!" Takeru snapped.

"Excusé moi!? For your information, I know what I'm saying, and I could care less on how your Pokémon feels, due to their unacceptable behavior and habits!" Burgundy snapped back. Ash sweat dropped, before turning to Pikachu and Takeru's Riolu.

"I have no idea what you're talking about. But before, you said Pikachu and Riolu were rare Pokémon, and that they both have rare fragrances or something like that!" Ash explained as Burgundy scoffed, leaving the Nuvema boy to glare at her with annoyance.

"The word, rare, doesn't mean they're necessarily good! Frankly, Pikachu is not as cutest pictures I've seen! And as for Riolu, it's not the strongest Fighting Type I've ever seen!" Burgundy snapped. "Pika..." _"What did you just say!?"_ Pikachu and Riolu snapped angrily together.

They shot up into the air as Pikachu used Thunderbolt on Burgundy, while Riolu added more power with ThunderPunch. The Connoisseuse screamed as she was shocked by the combined attacks. As she recovered, she angrily screamed, annoyed with all of Ash and Takeru's Pokémon.

"Horrible! All your Pokémon are simply HORRIBLE! You two need to make a complete change of your Pokémon right away!" Burgundy snapped. This time, Ash got angry as both he and Takeru glared at her. "Sorry! But I just think you're wrong!" Ash snapped. "Pika!" _"That's right!"_ Pikachu and Riolu agreed.

"It's not our Pokémon that's horrible! It's your acidic evaluation that's horrible and paralyzing our tongues! Expert Connoisseuse, my foot!" Takeru shouted in annoyance. Offended, Burgundy glared at the two, getting onto their nerves by raising her voice.

"Then, you two don't mind being losers!? You two wanted to achieve your dreams, collect all eight Gym Badges and make it to the Unova League!? News...flash! NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!" Burgundy bellowed. "Are you serious!?" Ash exclaimed in shock as Takeru shook his head.

"Ignore her, Ash. She's just spouting out some nonsense! You don't even know a thing about making evaluations, don't you!?" Takeru snapped. "Pardon!? Excusé moi!? For your information, I'm am a Pokémon Connoisseuse, and I know what I'm talking about!" Burgundy snapped.

"Think again, because I don't think you do know what you're talking about, you fraud!" Takeru snapped. "WHAT DID YOU SAY!?" Burgundy snapped. Both glared at each other angrily, with sparks flying between them while Ash could only watch with Riolu and Pikachu nervously.

That was until the curtains flew open, revealing Iris and Cilan. "Ash! Takeru! We were wondering where you two had run off to!" Iris called, startled to see Takeru snapping at the Connoisseuse. "When I came back, you two were gone! So I got a bit worried!" Cilan explained.

Hearing his voice, Burgundy blinked, looking to see who it was. Takeru looked back before he smiled. "Thank goodness you two are here... This fraud was starting to give me a headache..." Takeru sighed in relief. "A fraud? What do you-" Cilan started, until Burgundy screamed, pointing at the Connoisseur and Gym Leader.

"AHHHH! YOU!" Burgundy screamed. "Pardon!? Wait... I know you!" Cilan pointed out in surprise. Takeru blinked as the Kanto trainer was surprised. "Wow! You know her? When did you two last meet?" Ash asked. The Connoisseur frowned, thinking back into the past.

"Let me see... She challenged me to a Gym battle at Striaton City! But if I remember, she lost." Cilan explained, leaving Burgundy to point at him in accusation. "And I've been waiting for this day ever since! Because today is my revenge day!" Burgundy snapped.

The Connoisseur grew confused as he asked. "But what do you want revenge for?" Cilan asked. "I want revenge not only because you defeated me! But also because of those ridiculous and hurtful words for what you said about my Pokémon!" Burgundy snapped angrily.

"Thst serves you right... Considering the position you're in." Takeru scoffed, leaving Riolu to snicker at that. "Well, I am a Pokémon Connoisseur..." Cilan started, only for Burgundy to interrupt. "Oh, yes sir! Mr. Connoisseur, sir!" Burgundy snapped as she recalled the day that he lost to Cilan.

**Flashback**

_She was holding her fallen Oshawott, feeling teary for her loss as Cilan and Pansage looked at her in a sneering and grim way._

_ "Your Pokémon have been raised and stored in an unacceptable manner! And as a result, they have a horrendous aroma! Most unbecoming! Now, go wash your face and come back when you've learned your lesson! Ha ha ha ha!" Cilan said in Burgundy's thoughts._

**Flashback End**

"I said no such thing." Cilan replied, bewildered of what the Connoisseuse was saying. "That was close enough! And I was so hurt and angry... that I swore I'd become a greater Connoisseur than you could ever be! I would evaluate all Pokémon by aroma!" Burgundy explained.

Takeru sweat dropped, seeing how low she could be to make revenge after one losing battle and for her misunderstanding. "First, I was evaluated to get my license... And soon... I tainted recognition by earning that license by the Pokémon Connoisseur Association!" Burgundy continued.

**Flashback**

"But when I went back to the Striaton Gym for my revenge... I was told that you had gone on a journey!" Burgundy snapped. "Battle me!" Burgundy demanded, until Cress and Chili told her that Cilan had gone on a journey, much to her dismay.

The Connoisseuse gasped in shock as she fell to her knees, seeing that she couldn't get her revenge at all. "You knew that I was coming to get even with you, and you ran away!" Burgundy accused angrily, causing the group to sweat drop at her attitude.

**Flashback End**

"I didn't run away at all. Look, I feel bad that you came this way just to look for revenge, but this isn't a Gym, and we can't have any sort of Gym battle right now!" Cilan explained. Burgundy scoffed, revealing a Trio Badge to the Striaton Gym Leader.

"I defeated Chili and earned your Gym's Badge already! All I care about now is beating you and taking place as the top class Connoisseuse!" Burgundy snapped, before she smiled. She sighed dreamily, thinking about making her dream a success.

"Then, I'll become world famous and I'll finally be able to open up my own Connoisseuse shop!" Burgundy sighed happily, causing both Ash and Takeru to frown. The Nuvema boy sighed at this, face palming._ "So this was never her shop? Figures..."_ Takeru thought.

To be continued...

**Takeru's Team:**

**Riolu: (M): (Force Palm, Blaze Kick, ThunderPunch, Dig)**

**Joltik: (M): (Electro Ball, Electroweb, String Shot, Signal Beam)**

**Tranquill: (M): (Air Cutter, Gust, Roost, Aerial Ace)**

**Tepig: (M): (Flamethrower, Smog, Flame Charge, Rollout)**

**Zorua: (F): (Scratch, Leer, Pursuit, ?)**

**Petilil: (F): (Magical Leaf, Stun Spore, Mega Drain, Sleep Powder)**

Next chapters:

**Chapter 38: Cilan VS Burgundy! It's Evaluation Time!**

**Chapter 39: The Triple Ducklett Thieves!**

**Chapter 40: Deino VS Ducklett! A New Choice!**

**Chapter 41: The Past!? Or is it Memories!?**

**Chapter 42: The Memory World of Gothitelle!**

**Next chapter preview:**

Cilan: Burgundy? Do you even know what you're doing? A C-class Connoisseur is only supposed to give assistance to an A-class or higher Connoisseur!

Ash: So you were lying when you said that my compatibility with my Pokémon aren't good enough! The same with Takeru!

Burgundy: No way! Any other Connoisseur would've said the same thing! You two need to completely change your Pokémon right this instant!

Takeru: I don't care what you think, but there's no way I'm taking orders from an idiotic Connoisseuse who breaks the rules and insults my Pokémon like that!

Burgundy: What did you say!? For your information, I can become a better Connoisseuse than you could ever think! Battle with me now, Cilan!

Cilan: Alright then, Burgundy! I accept your challenge! And to my book, lose is not part of my Connoisseur dictionary!


	38. Cilan VS Burgundy! It's Evaluation Time!

**Chapter 38: Cilan VS Burgundy! It's Evaluation Time!**

Last time on "Pokémon Unova Journey", Takeru, Ash, Iris, and Cilan were all enjoying their time at a new PokéMart, only to split up and search around for some new supplies and merchandise. As they split up, Ash noticed a line for something behind the curtains.

Cilan and Takeru explained that the trainers are in line, waiting to be evaluated by a Pokémon Connoisseur or Connoisseuse. Cilan then suggested the two to be evaluated by the Connoisseuse, only for the two to wait at the back of the long line.

That was when a Connoisseuse lured the two boys in her 'shop', revealing herself to be Burgundy, one of the 'skilled" Pokémon Connoisseuse. She bragged on how well she knows about evaluation and about Pokémon as Ash and Takeru took out Sewaddle and Petilil for evaluation.

Burgundy wasn't impressed with them, only for the Grass Types to be offended, causing them to attack Burgundy. As Burgundy demands to see all of the boys' Pokémon, each one of them was called horrible, along with Pikachu and Riolu, resulting in her tantrum.

She then went too far, forcing Ash and Takeru to think about replacing all of their Pokémon, offending them both until Iris and Cilan came by. The Connoisseuse shrieked and called this day as her revenge day, recalling the things Cilan had done to her, even if it wasn't completely true.

"I didn't run away at all. Look, I feel bad that you came this way just to look for revenge, but this isn't a Gym, and we can't have any sort of Gym battle right now!" Cilan explained. Burgundy scoffed, revealing a Trio Badge to the Striaton Gym Leader.

"I defeated Chili and earned your Gym's Badge already! All I care about now is beating you and taking place as the top class Connoisseuse!" Burgundy snapped, before she smiled. She sighed dreamily, thinking about making her dream a success.

"Then, I'll become world famous and I'll finally be able to open up my own Connoisseuse shop!" Burgundy sighed happily, causing both Ash and Takeru to frown. The Nuvema boy sighed at this, face palming. "So this was never her shop? Figures..." Takeru thought.

"Hold on, are you saying that this isn't your Connoisseuse shop, Burgundy?" Ash asked. The question left Burgundy stiff as she sweat dropped with her mouth gaping. Cilan grew more suspicious as he inquired Burgundy of her ranking as a Connoisseuse.

"Exactly what class of Connoisseur are you then?" Cilan asked, as Burgundy fidgeted with her two fingers. "Well, I'm a C-class at the moment... What of it?" Burgundy asked nervously. Both Takeru and Cilan widened their eyes as the Striaton Gym Leader frowned.

"That's so odd! C-class is only the beginner's class! According to the Association rules, you're only allowed to work as an assistant to A-class Connoisseurs or above!" Cilan reminded, causing both Ash and Takeru to glare at the low class Connoisseuse angrily.

"So, you were lying when you said my Pokémon compatibility is no good, along with Takeru's!" Ash snapped. "You even went so low to say that you're the expert... I guess there's no wonder why your evaluations were so poor and idiotic, you fraud!" Takeru snapped.

Riolu and Pikachu were angry as well. _"How can you say my bond with big bro is so poor, you fake!" _Riolu snapped angrily. "Pika Pika" Pikachu snapped along. At that, Burgundy glared at the two boys, annoyed of being called a fraud and for being insulted of it.

"No way! Any Connoisseur would've said the same thing I did! You two both need to make a complete Pokémon overhaul!" Burgundy demanded as the Nuvema boy glared at her. "Sorry, but I only take advice from a skilled Connoisseur! Not some low class ones like you!" Takeru retorted.

"Pardon!? For your information, I know what I'm talking about! Your Pokémon compatibility as I said, is the worst of the worst!" Burgundy shrieked angrily. "That's completely going off the line! You're not even a skilled Connoisseur! You're just a fake! A fraud!" Takeru retorted.

"I will not listen to your ridiculous insults! Now I can see you are a poor excuse for a Pokémon Trainer for not knowing the true compatibility between you and your Pokémon-" Burgundy started, only for the Nuvema boy to interrupt her once again.

"You may not know it, but I already had my Pokémon evaluated by Cilan here, who is much better than you are!" Takeru snapped. "Why you pipsqueak...!" Burgundy shrieked, gritting her teeth as Cilan cleared his throat, breaking up the nasty argument.

"Now, now... No need to be so hostile on one another... And as for your evaluations, Burgundy... I believe there's no need for both Ash and Takeru to replace all their Pokémon!" Cilan stated, causing Burgundy to blink in surprise. "H-Huh?!" Burgundy stammered.

"I think the two have an excellent relationship with their Pokémon, of course..." Cilan stated, which brought the smile on the Kanto trainer's face. "Thanks!" "Cha!" Ash and Pikachu thanked, while Takeru gave a smile and a nod, as Riolu grinned with a growl.

Then, the Striaton Gym Leader turned to Burgundy with a sad smile. "So, it would seem that there are some problems with your evaluation method!" Cilan stated, causing Burgundy to widen her eyes and glare at her Connoisseur rival. "Huh!? What did you say?" Burgundy snapped.

Takeru, Ash, and Iris watched as Cilan began his lecture of being a true Pokémon Connoisseur. "The relationship between Pokémon and trainers are a complex one! You can't always make a good judgement evaluating by the manual!" Cilan lectured, causing the Connoisseuse to be more angry.

"I don't need YOU to lecture me! I already know a hundred times more than you'll ever know! And I'll prove it by beating you in a Pokémon battle!" Burgundy declared as Cilan chuckled with confidence. "Alright then! I accept your challenge!" Cilan chuckled.

Ash and Iris could only watch with Pikachu and Axew curiously at their Connoisseur friend while Takeru smiled softly, knowing what this could mean for Burgundy._ "Immaturity versus maturity... There's already a winner even if a clash doesn't occur."_ Takeru thought.

So, leaving the PokéMart, the group and Burgundy headed to a field near the mart where the two Connoisseurs would have their battle. Burgundy made the rules, offering it to the Striaton Gym Leader. "How does a two on two battle sound to you?" Burgundy asked.

"That's fine! Whatever you say!" Cilan agreed, folding his arms. At the sidelines, Ash grew pumped up to see the two Connoisseurs battle. "This is a real Connoisseur battle! I've never seen one before!" Ash admitted with excitement. "Pika!" Pikachu agreed.

Iris, on the other hand, didn't seem so thrilled. "Well, if you ask me... I think this battle is going to be a bit of a pain..." Iris stated. "Ew Axew..." Axew responded along. "A battle between those two... I can already tell what the result's going to be..." Takeru assured.

_"There's no way that Cilan could lose to a fraud woman like him!" _Riolu added with a snicker. Iris blinked, looking at the Nuvema duo, before looking back at the start of the battle. Burgundy took out her Pokéball, summoning her first Pokémon to fight.

"Alright, Dewott! Let's go!" Burgundy called. The evolved Sea Otter Pokémon appeared, who was ready to battle. "Dewott! Dew!" The Water Type cried. Cilan smiled, noticing the change in the Water Type starter as he shrugged with confidence.

"Excellent! I see your Oshawott evolved into a Dewott!" Cilan complimented. Iris folded her arms, thinking of a good Pokémon that stands a chance against Dewott. "Grass Type Pokémon have the advantage over Water Types!" Iris stated, with Ash agreeing.

"You bet! It's the perfect time to battle with Pansage, who's a Grass Type!" Ash agreed. "Pika!" Pikachu replied with a nod. "We'll just have to see what Cilan thinks about this part of the battle, though..." Takeru reminded, as Riolu narrowed his eyes. _"Huh..."_ The Fighting Type breathed out.

Cilan took out his first Pokéball, revealing his first Pokémon for battle. "And now, for my Pokémon!" Cilan called. The ball opened, revealing not Pansage, but Dwebble instead! That choice left both Ash and Iris surprised, along with their Pokémon starters.

"Huh!? Hey, that's Dwebble!" Iris pointed out in surprise. Burgundy smirked, before making her evaluation pose. "Alor! It's evaluating time again, s'il vous plait!" Burgundy called, making her pose. She smirked at seeing Dwebble, before making her evaluation.

"Oh my! You're actually using a Bug and a Rock Type against my Water Type? If your ability to choose wisely were a food... I'd say it has spoiled!" Burgundy taunted. Cilan chuckled once again, before making his Connoisseur evaluation pose.

"Ah ha ha... We'll just see! It's evaluating time!" Cilan declared. Takeru sighed, sweat dropping. "So first, it's an evaluation test battle, huh... That, I did not expect." Takeru sighed. Riolu chuckled with a silly grin while the Striaton Gym Leader made his evaluation.

"Put it this way! You and your Pokémon... are getting a nice taste of what we have to offer!" Cilan assured, causing Burgundy to smirk back with confidence. "Bon! But, if I am victorious, then this will finally prove to you that my evaluation method is correct!" Burgundy challenged.

The A-class Connoisseur smirked, making his choice of words. "I'm afraid that that will never be the case!" Cilan declared, making another challenge for Burgundy to make. She glanced at both Ash and Takeru evilly before making a deal for her rival.

"Well, if you're so sure, then promise me that if I win... Ash will replace all of his Pokémon!" Burgundy declared. Takeru widened his eyes in surprise as the Kanto trainer panicked. "Hey, hold on! This has nothing to do with us!" Ash protested, leaving a Burgundy to interrupt him.

"You hold on, boys! Cilan said that the two of you had a good relationship with your Pokémon, oui? But, according to my evaluation, the compatibility between you and every one of your Pokémon are the worst of the worst!" Burgundy declared, as Takeru sighed.

"You're more of an idiot than I thought... Going so low to break our bonds with our Pokémon... A pitiful excuse to be a Trainer or a Connoisseuse." Takeru scoffed, insulting the C-class Connoisseuse once again. This time, the insult left Burgundy to turn bright red.

"Why you... Argh! That won't matter if I win! You better prepare to replace all of your Pokémon!" Burgundy snapped angrily. Ash groaned, trying to lead with his Connoisseur friend. "Come on, that's nuts! Cilan, could you please jump in and say something?" Ash pleaded.

However, the Striaton Gym Leader had other plans as he agreed. "It'll be fine... Right, Burgundy! I'll accept your battle challenge!" Cilan declared. "WHAT!?" "PIKA!?" Ash and Pikachu yelped in shock in unison. Takeru sweat dropped as he watched his old friend make his promise.

"I'll put my A-class Connoisseur rating on the line! I'll take full responsibility, that if I lose, and all of Ash and Takeru's Pokémon will be replaced!" Cilan declared. At this, the Kanto trainer flailed around, complaining to his A ranked Connoisseur friend.

"But you can't promise that for us!" Ash complained. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu complained along. _"What now, big bro? Cilan has agreed to these conditions..." _Riolu growled sadly in fright. The Nuvema boy smiled in reassurance as he scratched Riolu's left ear in comfort.

He then placed a hand on Ash's right shoulder with a sigh. "Just leave him be, Ash... It's useless to resist once a Pokémon Connoisseur or trainer has accepted this challenge. And besides, this is Cilan we're talking about, right?" Takeru reminded in confidence.

Before Ash could protest once again, Cilan turned to his two friends and grinned. "Right! You should relax, Ash! The word lose does not exist anywhere in an A-class Connoisseur dictionary!" Cilan assured. The look on his face showed that the deal was done as Ash sighed.

"Come on... Do you have to drag me and Takeru into this? I'm kind of surprised that you didn't object to this, Takeru..." Ash sighed, glancing at his Nuvema boy friend. "Like I said, this is Cilan we're talking about, remember? I'm sure he's done his homework." Takeru assured.

"Yeah... Other than that, our Cilan becomes totally different when it comes to evaluation time!" Iris pointed out, as the Kanto trainer grew more concerned. "Yeah... But what happens if he loses?" Ash groaned, his head down. Iris sighed, making her guess.

"If I know Cilan, he's got a fool-proof plan..." Iris assured. "Yeah, only that we need to see what this fool-proof plan is..." Takeru reminded. _"But, big bro... This battle will determine our fate to be separated or be together forever, right?"_ Riolu whimpered.

Once again, Takeru scratched Riolu by the ear with comfort, causing the Emanation Pokémon to moan in content. "Just relax, Riolu. We'll see how the battle goes." Takeru replied with a small wink, causing Riolu to feel better as the Fighting Type nodded.

**Burgundy: Dewott + 1 VS Cilan: Dwebble + 1**

Burgundy sneered on confidence, making her assurance to the group. "There are never mistakes in my Pokémon evaluation! I'll show you the power of a Pokémon that's fully matured!" Burgundy declared. At that, the battle began, with Burgundy making the first move.

"Dewott! Water Gun, let's go!" Burgundy cried. At the order, the evolved Water Type shot the Water Gun at Dwebble, causing Cilan to call for defense. "Use Protect!" Cilan called. As Dwebble defended, the Water Gun bounced off the barrier, being ineffective.

"Now! Use Fury Cutter!" Burgundy cried. Dewott charged in, aiming to slash Dwebble with a Bug Type move. Cilan once again countered with defense. "Protect again!" Cilan called. Like before, Fury Cutter was blocked by the barrier as Dewott fell back.

"Oh my... Dwebble is only defending!" Iris replied with a frown. Ash rubbed the back of his head with a groan. "Oh man... A Bug and Rock Type Pokémon like Dwebble is no good going against a Water Type like Dewott..." Ash stated. Takeru folded his arms, narrowing his eyes.

"Cilan has defeated this Dewott before... So he can do it again... I'm sure of it!" Takeru assured. "Yeah, but still... What is Cilan planning?" Iris injured in question, leaving the boys to question themselves as well. Riolu just watched, with Pikachu and Axew as the battle continued.

Burgundy smirked at the defense Cilan is giving, as she scoffed. "Only defense? That strategy seems awfully dull for an A-class Connoisseur like yourself!" Burgundy taunted, as Cilan only smirked back. The C-class Connoisseuse sighed, shaking her head.

"Choosing Dwebble to go against Dewott is the worst choice you've ever made! We'll finish this with our next attack!" Burgundy called. Dewott nodded, getting ready until his trainer called for the attack. "Water Pulse!" Burgundy cried, pointing at the opponent.

The evolved Sea Otter Pokémon nodded as he shot the powerful Water Type attack at Dwebble, scoring a direct hit! Dwebble shrieked as he took the heavy damage from the super effective attack as he slammed to the ground, hiding inside his rock shell.

The C-class Connoisseuse smirked until Dwebble appeared out of his shell, looking fine! "Huh!? How did Dwebble handle that Water Pulse!?" Burgundy gasped in shock. Cilan laughed, before making the answer. "Easy! This Dwebble's special ability is Sturdy!" Cilan answered.

That left the Connoisseuse bewildered as Iris grew amazed. "So, that was his plan!" Iris exclaimed in amazement. "Yeah... To counter all of Dewott's moves with Protect, and then trick Burgundy into thinking that Water Pulse would finish it off with one hit..." Takeru explained.

Ash smiled, before he frowned, noticing Dewott's condition. "Hold on... What's going on with Dewott?" Ash asked, causing both Iris and Takeru to glance at the Water Type. The evolved Sea Otter Pokémon seemed to be breathing hard with exhaustion.

"Dewott's exhausted!" Iris pointed out. Back at the battle, Cilan was already on his way making his next move. "You're about to taste Dwebble's true power! Alright! Shell Smash!" Cilan called. Dwebble responded by decreasing his defense, leaving his rock shell behind!

In exchange, his attack increased with power, allowing Cilan to make the next attack. "X-Scissor, let's go!" Cilan added, pointing at Dewott. The next attack was about to come, with X-Scissor gaining more power because of the Shell Smash that's been activated.

The Connoisseuse, on the other hand grew desperate as she attempted to counter it. "Use Razor Shell!" Burgundy cried. Dewott obeyed and clashed with Dwebble's powered X-Scissor attack as the two moves clashed, forcing them to skid back to their trainers.

The results showed, with Dwebble scurrying back to his shell, and with Dewott groaning, falling unconscious on the ground. Burgundy gasped at this, seeing that her evolved Water Type starter had lost! "Are you okay!? Hurry up, Dewott! Return!" Burgundy called.

**Burgundy: 1 Pokémon **

As the evolved Sea Otter Pokémon was returned to its Pokéball, Ash grinned, seeing that first round went to their Connoisseur friend. "Alright! Dwebble did it!" Ash exclaimed. "Pika!" Pikachu cried out in joy. Takeru smiled in knowing as Iris smiled as well.

"As soon as Dwebble dropped its defense, its attacks have gotten much stronger!" Iris pointed out. "Axew ew!" Axew cried out in agreement. "Burgundy's only left with one Pokémon, which puts Cilan in an advantage!" Takeru pointed out with a knowing smile.

_"That would mean Cilan is going to win, right, big bro?"_ Riolu asked in question. "Yeah... Our buddy Cilan will win the next battle for sure..." Takeru assured with a nod. Back at the battle, the C-class Connoisseuse was left frustrated while Cilan smirked, making his point to his rival.

"See my method? I chose Dwebble to go up against Dewott, because I was sure its special ability, Sturdy would allow it to withstand even a strong Water Type attack! All Pokémon are complex! That's why you can't rely on a manual for evaluating them!" Cilan explained.

The explanation left Burgundy shocked as she was bewildered at the same time. "Huh!? So you chose a Pokémon with a type disadvantage just so you could teach me a lesson?" Burgundy asked, still bewildered. The A-class Connoisseur sighed, folding his arms.

"It seems to me you still don't understand the true nature of evaluating! A Connoisseur's job isn't to simply to say no, but to see each and every Pokémon for its own unique qualities and judge them based on that!" Cilan explained, while a Burgundy listened.

This didn't seem to make the rookie Connoisseuse any better as she gritted her teeth, while clenching her fist. "Urgh... Look, Cilan! The battle isn't over yet! Sawsbuck, let's go!" Burgundy called, as she summoned her new and evolved Pokémon out.

An adult deer-like Pokémon appeared, facing off against his opponent. Ash blinked, taking out his Pokédex. "What's that?" Ash asked, with the Nuvema boy answering. "It's a Sawsbuck, an evolved form of Deerling!" Takeru answered as Riolu was in awe.

_"__Sawsbuck, the Season Pokémon, and the evolved form of Deerling. The plants on Sawsbuck's horns change depending on the time of year, and people often use them to measure the passing of the seasons." _Ash's Pokédex buzzed. Burgundy sneered, showing off her evolved Grass Type.

"Sawsbuck is my premium brand! I want to see what kind of evaluation you have for us!" Burgundy demanded. At that, Cilan responded by recalling Dwebble back into its Pokéball. "Alright... Great! Thank your Dwebble! Return!" Cilan called.

The Bug-Rock Type Pokémon was recalled, as the Striaton Gym Leader brought out his ace Pokémon. "And now... My premium brand... Pansage!" Cilan called. The Grass Monkey Pokémon appeared, pumping his fist into the air with determination.

"Burgundy... Your battle style reflects a fine blend of strength and courage, but it will be some time before that recipe has been refined into brand developed that is one destined to become a true, timeless classic!" Cilan assured, causing the C-class Connoisseuse to grow even more annoyed.

"All this recipe talk makes me angry and hungry! Now, use Horn Leech!" Burgundy yelled. At the call, Sawsbuck charged, aiming to hit Pansage with his glowing antlers. The Connoisseur was ready as he made the call. "Dig, let's go!" Cilan called, countering Horn Leech.

Pansage responded by digging underground, causing the C-class Connoisseuse to gasp. "Ah! Oh no, Sawsbuck! Stop there!" Burgundy called. The a Season Pokémon obeyed, looking around to see where Pansage could be hiding underground.

Burgundy began to think over what Cilan could be planning. "I detect a secret ingredient in Cilan's battling style recipe!... But, just what is that secret ingredient?" Burgundy asked herself, only for her rival to say her name. "Burgundy!" Cilan called, causing the Connoisseuse to look up.

"Now, we will explore the full depths of battle! My recipe revealed!" Cilan called, leaving his rival confused. Suddenly, Pansage erupted from underground as Burgundy tried to hit Pansage with Sawsbuck's attacks. "Sawsbuck! Jump Kick!" Burgundy called.

Immediately, Cilan countered it. "Pansage, use Dig!" The Striaton Gym Leader called. The Grass Type dug underground, evading the Jump Kick attack, until his trainer made the next call. "Pansage! Bullet Seed!" Cilan called, pointing at the Season Pokémon.

Pansage responded, by digging out of the ground and shooting Bullet Seed at Sawsbuck at the same time! From the right side, from the left side, and from the back as well! At this strategy, the C-class Connoisseuse glared at his rival for his trickery.

"Cilan! That was sneaky!" Burgundy snapped. "Sometimes, it is necessary to attack from the front, and sometimes, you must approach it from the back! Confusing is another piece of the battle puzzle." Cilan reminded, with a sneer looking face.

At that, the fourth Dig was about to finish, only for the C-class Connoisseuse to notice. "Ah! Use Megahorn!" Burgundy yelled, pointing at the cracked ground. At Pansage appearing out of the ground, Sawsbuck charged with the super effective Bug Type attack.

But, at that point, the A-class Connoisseur already had a plan to counter the incoming attack. "Perfect! Now that the time is right, I'll end with an unexpected recipe by using Solarbeam!" Cilan declared. Showing the perfect time, Pansage gathered energy from the sun!

Once the energy was fully charged, the Grass Monkey Pokémon shot the attack towards the charging Sawsbuck as the Solarbeam made a direct hit, creating a bright light between the two Grass Types. Burgundy widened her eyes in shock as the light faded off.

For Cilan, he felt confident as he looked at the two Pokémon before making his words. "Victory is now mine!" Cilan declared. At that word, Sawsbuck fell to his left, fainted from the heavy damage he took from the Solarbeam. "Ah!? Sawsbuck!" Burgundy gasped.

**Winner: Cilan**

She ran over to her evolved Season Pokémon in worry. "Sawsbuck, are you okay!?" Burgundy asked in concern. Sawsbuck responded with a low nod and a reassuring tone that it was alright. The C-class Connoisseuse smiled before she took out his Pokéball.

"You were wonderful. Now, get a good rest." Burgundy praised as Sawsbuck was back in its Pokéball. She then glared at her Connoisseur rivals for a moment, before giving it a thought of what Cilan had said. Meanwhile, Ash was relieved as he let out a deep sigh.

"Awesome! Cilan is even stronger than I thought!" Ash complimented. "I told you he wasn't going to lose that easily, now did I?" Takeru teased, elbowing the Kanto trainer by the arm. That made the Kanto trainer laugh nervously as Iris turned to the two.

"That's right! And thank goodness for that! Now you two don't have to change your Pokémon anymore!" Iris giggled. "Yeah! What a relief!" Ash chuckled in agreement. "You've got that right... I think I've had enough of hearing evaluations for one day." Takeru sighed.

"Pikachu..." _"What a relief..."_ Pikachu and Riolu agreed as they felt relieved as well. Once the battle was over, Burgundy packed her things, getting ready to head out to be a better Connoisseuse until Cilan stopped her for a moment. "Burgundy?" Cilan called.

The C-class Connoisseuse stopped, but didn't look at hear rival. "You've got the great ingredient for a Connoisseur potential inside you! But that recipe needs some time to develop and grow! The key to anything worthwhile is patience!" Cilan advised.

With the words Cilan is putting in her thoughts, this made Burgundy furious and shake in anger as she faced her rival, pointing at him with annoyance. "I'm sick and tired of your lectures! I'm going to become an S-class Connoisseuse and you'll see how strong I really am!" Burgundy assured.

Cilan blinked in surprise as the Connoisseuse then turned to Takeru with annoyance. "And you! I'll make you pay for what hurtful words you said about my evaluation method! That means I'm going to have revenge on you someday! You better prepare yourself!" Burgundy warned.

"Empty words, coming from a C-class Connoisseuse like toi." Takeru taunted, folding his arms in annoyance. Cilan sweat dropped, while laughing nervously at this. "Well, Burgundy... I'll be looking forward for your development for sure!" Cilan assured.

At first, the C-class Connoisseuse was furious at the Nuvema boy before she was stopped by her rival's words. She began to think about it, until her anger and revenge thought got to her first, causing her to scream out loud before running off to another route.

"I'll have my revenge on you both someday! MARK MY WORDS!" Burgundy screamed as she ran off and out of sight, leaving the four trainers bewildered. "Wow... She's fast!" Iris pointed out in surprise while the Nuvema boy face palmed in annoyance.

"Well, coming from an arrogant hothead like her, I suppose you could put it that way..." Takeru agreed. "It couldn't have been easier for her!" Ash joked, as Pikachu smirked. "Pika..." Pikachu chuckled. Cilan turned to his three friends, reminding the three of one thing.

"The truth is... Being able to pass the C-class Pokémon evaluation is no walk in the park!" Cilan explained. "Really?" Ash asked in surprise. The A-class Connoisseur nodded before looking up ahead. "Plus, you've got to give her credit for that spark and spirit!" Cilan added.

"The spirit? You mean the spirit to insult you and make ridiculous evaluations coming from the manual?" Takeru asked with a frown, as he was not impressed. The others laughed nervously at that, before the Kanto trainer turned to his Electric Type partner.

"Hey, Pikachu? I say we should show as much spark and spirit as Burgundy... and give it all we've got at the Castelia Gym!" Ash suggested. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu agreed. "That goes for us too, Riolu. Let's show some spirit of ours in our Gym battle." Takeru declared.

_"Of course! That's what I plan to do, big bro!"_ Riolu barked in confidence, causing his human brother to chuckle a little. So, with the conversation ending, the group moves on, walking along the route to head for Castelia City, where Ash and Takeru's Gym battle is to take place.

To be continued...

**Takeru's Team:**

**Riolu: (M): (Force Palm, Blaze Kick, ThunderPunch, Dig)**

**Joltik: (M): (Electro Ball, Signal Beam, String Shot, Electroweb)**

**Tranquill: (M): (Air Cutter, Gust, Aerial Ace, Roost)**

**Tepig: (M): (Flamethrower, Smog, Flame Charge, Rollout)**

**Zorua: (F): (Scratch, Leer, Pursuit, ?)**

**Petilil: (F): (Magical Leaf, Sleep Powder, Stun Spore, Mega Drain)**

Next chapters:

**Chapter 39: The Triple Ducklett Thieves!**

**Chapter 40: Deino VS Ducklett! A New Choice!**

**Chapter 41: The Past!? Or is it Memories!?**

**Chapter 42: The Memory World of Gothitelle!**

**Chapter 43: The Invasion of the Venipede!**

**Next chapter preview:**

Ash: Wah! What's with the sudden hole digging... You're...! You're that sunglasses Sandile from before! Did you surprise us just to have a battle?

Cilan: Thief! Come back here right now! Give back with my dinner pan!

Takeru: What are those Ducklett... H-Huh!? You... You... You little... Give me back my necklace right now! You little, pesky thieves!

Ash: Oh great... It's got my hat, Takeru's necklace, Sandile's glasses, and Cilan's dinner pan! What could be worse!?

Takeru: A... Deino? What's a Deino doing here? Is it here to retrieve something from those three?

Ash: Whatever it is, Deino sure looks really sad! We have to help out!


	39. The Triple Ducklett Thieves!

**Chapter 39: The Triple Ducklett Thieves!**

Axew, Scraggy, and Zorua were glaring and growling each other, facing each other in a triangle way, as if having another triangle battle ready to go. Each of them were determined to win the battle, leaving Zorua out, who really didn't like to battle. Iris, Ash, and Takeru all prepared to make their first moves, all waiting carefully for the timing to be right.

**Iris: Axew VS Takeru: Zorua VS Ash: Scraggy**

As they all waited, several Pidoves chirped up, flying by. Cilan seemed to have noticed the small commotion as he turned to see the start of the second triangle battle. "Scraggy! Use Headbutt on Axew!" "Quick! Axew, use Scratch on Scraggy!" "Counter Axew with _your _Scratch attack, Zorua!" The three trainers yelled out together, all making different targets for battle.

As of now, Axew was aiming to scratch Scraggy, but got a little frightened of two opponents coming to him at once with two attacks ready. "Don't give in just because you're outnumbered, Axew! Be brave!" Iris advised. The Dragon Type blinked, before nodding as he kept on with his attack at his opponent.

First, Scraggy gave the Tusk Pokémon a Headbutt attack, then came Zorua, who slashed Axew's head with a Scratch attack! Axew flinched deeply, due to the two attacks he took. He angrily glared at Zorua, and aimed a Scratch attack at her! The Tricky Fox Pokémon ducked, forcing the attack to hit Scraggy instead!

The pants-like band on Scraggy slid down, much to the Dark-Fighting Type Pokémon's embarrassment. Axew laughed at that, while Zorua grew unfazed as she yawned, obviously bored with Axew. "En..." Zorua grumbled, saying Axew is such a boring opponent. Axew didn't hear that as Ash and Iris laughed nervously at the three's current status.

Takeru, however, wasn't amused as he gave a sigh in disappointment. "What is this supposed to be? A mock battle... or a kids game?" Takeru scoffed as Iris glared at the Nuvema boy. "Oh, I'll show you who's a kid, Mr. Big Shot! Axew, use-" Iris started, only for the Kanto trainer to cut her off! "Alright, Scraggy! Use Leer!" Ash yelled.

At this, the Shedding Pokémon glared at both Axew and Zorua, as Zorua blinked, before she flinched a little, as Axew flinched faster than the little Dark Type. That seemed to have amazed Ash as he widened his eyes. "Huh? It worked!... Right?" Ash pointed out in amazement, before he sweat dropped. "Pika...?" Even Pikachu was unsure of this.

Takeru and Riolu both sweat dropped, knowing what the obvious answer was at this point. "Ugh... Zorua! Use Pursuit on both of them!" Takeru called. At the call, Zorua first slapped Axew on the cheeks with her tail, much to the Dragon Type's surprise, and then she slammed Scraggy on the face, much to the Shedding Pokémon's surprise.

"HUH!?" That was all both Ash and Iris could say as both Axew and Scraggy were struggling to keep standing perfectly. "Oh... I'll show you! Axew, use Dragon Rage!" Iris yelled. "WHAT!?" "You're kidding, right?" While Ash was shocked, Takeru was bewildered, but it didn't bother the nature girl as Axew began to charge up the power!

A glowing ball of blue light appeared on Axew's stomach as the Dragon Rage started to power up! Ash, Scraggy, and Pikachu both yelped as they took a step back to prevent themselves from being involved in the incoming explosion. Cilan quickly hid his dinner pan cover to prevent it from getting dirtied by the incoming explosion as well.

"This is getting tedious... Zorua, use Pursuit, please." Takeru pleaded. Zorua giggled, before she gave a yip. She quickly slapped Axew away once again, before the Dragon Rage could be shot! The ball of light exploded inside the Tusk Pokémon as the explosion had occurred, resulting in another failure. "Ah! Oh no, Axew!" Iris gasped.

As the smoke passed, Axew was groaning, unconscious from the small hits he had taken from both Scraggy and Zorua, but also from the explosion that occurred inside him! For the others, it didn't seem to involve them as no one got the bushy hairs anymore. But for the ones in battle, Scraggy was shocked at the power, while Zorua was unimpressed.

And as for the trainers, Ash began to laugh nervously at the failure once more, while Takeru, like Zorua was unimpressed. Iris gave a deep sigh, before holding her Dragon Type up with a smile. "Well, we tried!" Iris reminded in assurance. "Axew!" Axew agreed with a smile. Takeru, on the other hand, remained unimpressed with the failure once more.

"You do realize that this can't go on forever. Eventually, Axew WILL have to learn Dragon Rage perfectly. Otherwise, he will never become strong like other Dragon Types." Takeru scoffed, leaving Iris to glare at the Nuvema boy. "Well, no one asked you, Mr. Know-it-all! We just have to keep trying! That's what will make it perfect!" Iris retorted.

"Axew!" Axew agreed, determined to master his move. Zorua snickered at that, hardly believing that a self-destructing attack could possibly be mastered from a little Pokémon like Axew when it could be very difficult. "Hey, gang! Lunch is ready!" Cilan called. That caught the three trainer's attention as they realized that it was lunchtime already.

"Wow... That was awesome work, Scraggy! So I think that's enough training for now!" Ash explained. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu agreed. "Good work, Zorua. You did pretty well even if you didn't want to battle. So, you can lay off for a while until we have to train again, alright?" Takeru complimented. "En!" Zorua barked happily with a nod.

"You must be hungry! Right, Axew?" Iris asked. "Axew!" Axew agreed, feeling hungry all of a sudden. "Alright! Let's go!" Ash called. But just before Ash, Pikachu, or Scraggy could move, a Pokéball suddenly opened up, revealing Oshawott all of a sudden! "Osha!" Oshawott cried out happily. "Ha... Oshawott." Ash chuckled nervously.

Takeru watched as the Sea Otter Pokémon ran to the table energetically, before he felt something tugging on his leg. He looked down to notice Riolu tugging on his jeans._ "Is Zorua getting better, big bro? Because I think she still has a lot to learn."_ Riolu asked curiously, much to Takeru's amusement. "Yeah. Zorua's getting better, Riolu." Takeru answered.

"En!" Zorua bragged, puffing her chest up in the air, much to Riolu's annoyance. _"That doesn't mean you're strong yet to be in a Gym battle, Zorua." _Riolu lectured, sweat dropping. The sudden lecture caused Zorua to pout as she turned her head away. "Alright. That's enough, you two. Let's join the others for lunch, okay?" Takeru asked.

_"Okay..." _"En." The two Pokémon agreed together. With that said, Zorua started to run for the table first with Oshawott and Scraggy. Seeing this, the Kanto trainer grinned as he took out his other Pokéballs. "Hey! Why don't we all have lunch together?" Ash suggested. The idea caught Takeru's attention as he took out his other Pokéballs as well.

"Good idea. That way, everyone would be enjoying their lunch." Takeru agreed. But, just before the two boys could summon their Pokémon out, a hole came out of nowhere, right underneath Takeru and Ash! The two boys yelped in shock as they fell down the hole, along with Pikachu and Riolu! "Ah!? AHHHHH!" "GAAAHHH!" Ash and Takeru screamed together.

"PIKKAAA!" "AHHHH!" The two starters screamed along with their trainers. The sudden screaming of their friends caused Iris and Cilan to run over to where the two holes were as they peered in each one. "Ash!? Takeru!? Pikachu and Riolu!?" Iris gasped in shock. "Ah...!? That's quite a deep hole!" Cilan stated in shock.

"En!?" "Osha!?" "Scrag!?" Zorua, Oshawott, and Scraggy cried to their trainers' disappearance, until the hole caved in! It became sealed, preventing anyone else from falling in! "Huh!? Now what!?" Iris gasped in shock. Knowing what to do, Cilan had an idea in his mind. "We'll follow them with Dig! Pansage! Come on out!" Cilan called.

At the call, the Grass Monkey Pokémon appeared, ready to help. Noticing Cilan's wish to save Ash and Takeru, Iris gulped, before taking out another Pokéball. "I want to help..." Iris replied, much to the Connoisseur's surprise. "Iris... Is that...!?" Cilan asked, until the nature girl nodded, feeling serious, but hesitant at the same time.

"It sure is! With this mess... Excadrill's got to help!" Iris assured. "Axew..." Axew agreed, despite of hesitating to believe that the stubborn Steel-Ground Type would help, even if this were to be a critical situation. But for the Connoisseur, he wasn't sure, especially when Iris described on how Excadrill would be around her at this time.

**(Pokémon BW Opening (Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V Opening 4 Lyrics) (****English Subbed))**

(Many Pokéballs pass by, coming from the bright light)

**_Now is the time, hold up your trump card._**

**_ This future is yours to take!_**

(Takeru catches one of them and summons his Pokémon)

(The Best Wishes opening title shows with Takeru, Ash, Iris, and Cilan's four faces showing)

**_Burging brightly. _**

**_Like you're still watching an unending dream_**

(Takeru walks on a path at night with a serious expression on his face, with Riolu at his side)

**_Your body yearns for it. _**

**_A place where those who are strong are._**

(Ash stands at a battlefield, with Pikachu on his shoulder, as they prepare to face their opponent)

**_Shaky, wavering. _**

**_What you're looking for it nowhere to be found._**

(Cilan and Pansage are preparing supper, until they see a shooting star up on the evening sky)

**_But you're still seeking it._**

**_A place overwhelming with power._**

(Iris and Axew watches the forest on a high branch of a giant tree)

_**The next battle is waiting for me.**_

(Team Rocket and Team Plasma stand in opposition, ready to fight)

(Jessie, James, and Meowth stand above the Team Rocket organization)

(Aldith and Barrett stand above the Team Plasma organization)

(Giovanni and Ghetsis stand big and tall as each organization's leader)

**_I can hear the sign of new days coming._**

(A hooded boy turns, offering a hand, with his silhouetted Pokémon behind him)

(Takeru, Iris, Ash, Cilan, Nate, Rosa, and Hugh prepares to fight against their enemies)

(Riolu, Axew, Pikachu, Pansage, Pignite, Servine, and Dewott stands behind their trainers)

**_Now is the time, hold up your trump card. _**

**_This future is yours to take!_**

(Takeru summons all seven of his Pokémon; Riolu, Tranquill, Pignite, Joltik, Deino, Zorua, and Petilil)

(Ash summons his Pokémon; Pikachu, Snivy, Tepig, Oshawott, Tranquill, Swadloon, and Scraggy)

**Whether your smile can shake this world is all up to you.**

(Iris summons her Pokémon; Axew, Emolga and Excadrill)

(Cilan summons his Pokémon; Pansage, Dwebble, and Stunfisk)

**_Write a new chapter in this story.  
_**

**_After all, aren't you the hero?_**

(Zekrom and Reshiram roars together in opposition)

(Takeru and Zekrom merges together, making Takeru a different person)

(Takeru, Ash, Cilan, and Iris all stand together with all their current Pokémon)

**(Opening ends)**

Back to Ash and Takeru, the two boys were both skidding down the hole where they were being taken to another location. But of course, they weren't enjoying the ride at all. "WHAT... IS... THIS...!?" Takeru screamed as he kept skidding, further down into the hole. "I... DON'T KNOW...!" Ash screamed back as the speed increased.

Sooner or later, the hole showed a bright light, revealing outside. Both Ash and Takeru yelled as they were slammed to the ground, much to their dismay and pain. "Ugh... Man, that hurts! Are you alright, Pikachu?" Ash asked, turning to his Electric Type. "Pika..." Pikachu confirmed with a weak nod and a weak smile.

Then, realizing someone was missing, Ash blinked, looking around for his Unova friend. "Hey, hold on... Where did Takeru and Riolu go?" Ash asked, confused. That was when he heard a familiar, but a groaning voice. "You're sitting on me... again, Ash." Takeru grunted from below, much to the Kanto trainer's shock as he got off of his friend.

"Ah! Oh, uh... Sorry, Takeru." Ash apologized. The Nuvema boy just grumbled in annoyance as he got up, dusting himself off, with Riolu standing up as well, recovering from the fall they took._ "What just hit me...? Huh?!"_ Riolu started, then yelped in shock.

The Fighting Type's surprise caught Ash, Takeru, and Pikachu's attention as they looked where Riolu was looking at. That was when they all became surprised. Ahead of them was a Sandile! A Sandile with sunglasses, that is. "Sand sand sand! Sandile!" The wild Sandile smirked, glaring at the two boys with their starter Pokémon.

"Hey... A Sandile! I know you!" Ash exclaimed. He recalled of the Sandile coming from the hot sand spa! "This is the same Sandile that's been following us? First, from the hot sand spa... Secondly, from the kindergarten's class... And now, here..." Takeru muttered, recalling the previous times they had met in the past.

"I get it! So, you were the one that dug that hole! But... Why did you do that?" Ash asked. "Sandile! Sandile! Sand!" The wild Pokémon answered. He looked like he was ready to attack as he glared at both Pikachu and Riolu with a challenging tone. Riolu obviously understood as he gave a disappointed sigh, before turning to his human brother.

_"He says that he did it only to challenge me and Pikachu to a battle."_ Riolu translated. At the translation, the Nuvema boy folded his arms with a stern look, before he glared at the Dark-Ground Type. "That was a terrible way to challenge us. If you wanted a battle, you could've just approached us with a challenge, rather than forcing us to!" Takeru snapped.

The sudden lecture startled Sandile as the Nuvema boy continued on. "You got us separated from our friends just because you wanted a battle? That's just a selfish thing, just because you wanted to do something that others do not want to do! Is this how you do it with every people or other Pokémon!?" Takeru snapped angrily.

As the Nuvema boy was scolding the Desert Croc Pokémon, something glowed on his chest, something that no one noticed. "S-Sand..." Sandile stuttered, not knowing how to counter that lecture. Ash, on the other hand, tried to calm his friend down.

"Hey, calm down, Takeru! This isn't like you to be so angry about this!" Ash requested, holding his Unova friend's shoulders. "Pika Pika..." _"What Ash said. Please calm down, big bro."_ Pikachu and Riolu agreed together. At the Pokémon's request, the Nuvema boy calmed down, as he gave a deep sigh, before regaining his composure.

"..." Takeru only gave a mumble, as he was still annoyed with the Sandile doing a selfish action to his friends and himself. For the Dark-Ground Type, he knew he wasn't going to get a battle from Riolu, especially since his trainer was pissed at him, so he turned to Pikachu instead with the same glare, only for the glare to be a bit lighter.

"Pika!" Pikachu retorted back, as he was still annoyed with the sudden challenge. But, this wasn't a request to be turned away, which caused the Electric Type to accept his challenge. "What do you say, bud?" Ash asked, smiling at his partner. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu confirmed, much to the Nuvema boy's surprise.

"You're accepting the challenge even when it did a selfish thing?" Takeru asked, narrowing his eyes. "Well, yeah! I mean, since we're here now, it's only fair to accept a battle challenge, coming from a trainer or a wild Pokémon, get it?" Ash asked. At the confirmation, Takeru face palmed, not understanding the Kanto trainer's determination.

"Do what you want... I'm not taking part of this..." Takeru sighed, as he sat on a rock, preparing to watch the start of a Pokémon rival battle. The Emanation Pokémon joined his human brother, sitting on the same rock, as he watched as well. _"Well, at least we might see a good battle. Right, big bro?" _Riolu asked. "Maybe..." Takeru answered.

He gave another sigh before looking up at the blue sky._ "I just wonder what Iris and Cilan are doing. I hope that they're planning to make their search for us quicker than usual... unless something slows them down at least..."_ Takeru thought, before he looked back at his Kanto friend, Pikachu, and the sunglasses Sandile.

**Meanwhile...**

"Excadrill! Let's go!" Iris called. She sent out her stubborn Steel-Ground Type out for some assistance, hoping that he had opened up now. But unfortunately, it didn't seem so, as Excadrill was still in his drill mode, as he refused to open up to the others, and his trainer as well! But Iris was determined, as she called for her first Pokémon.

"Help, Excadrill! Go after Ash, Takeru, Pikachu, and Riolu!" Iris pleaded. But to her dismay, the drill mode Excadrill remained silent, as he didn't even show a crack of coming out. "I'm afraid Excadrill is acting a bit chilly!" Cilan chuckled nervously. The nature girl slumped down in disappointment, before taking his Pokéball out once again.

"Ugh... Never mind. Return, Excadrill!" Iris groaned, as she returned her stubborn Pokémon back to its Pokéball, while the Connoisseur turned to his Grass Type starter. "Pansage! How about you helping out?" Cilan asked. "Pan!" Pansage cried in confirmation. But, before Pansage could even move, something called out to Cilan and the others.

"Ducklett!" The voice cried, catching everyone's attention. They all turned to see a blue duck-looking Pokémon, wearing the A-class Connoisseur's dish pan on its head! It began to run away with it, much to Cilan's dismay. "Thief! Come back at once!" Cilan demanded desperately as he attempted to stop the escaping Ducklett.

Pansage followed, only to stop when the Ducklett shot a Water Type attack! It missed the Striaton Gym Leader and the Grass Monkey Pokémon, but it instead hit both Iris and Oshawott! "EEEK! Ducklett is using Scald! And it's really hot, hot hot!" Iris shrieked, as she grew stiff due to being hit by the hot water attack.

Oshawott, on the other hand, was more than just affected, as he screamed in pain, flailing around angrily while throwing his scalchop to the ground! But, once looking back at his prized possession, the Sea Otter Pokémon picked it up and attached to its stomach once again. As it did so, it glared back at the mischievous Ducklett.

The Water-Flying Type laughed at the group before it ran off with the dish pan on its head! Cilan could only gasp and watch as Oshawott, Scraggy, and Zorua ran after the Pokémon, while Axew followed happily, believing it was an adventure. Iris blinked before she followed as she tried to stop the four Pokémon.

"H-Hey! Wait a second!" Iris called, running after the four. Seeing the nature girl accompanying the four in a chase, the Striaton Gym Leader turned to his Grass Type, making his decision for his actions. "Let's let Iris take care all of that, and we'll go look for Ash and Takeru!" Cilan suggested, to which Pansage agreed on.

**Back to the two boys...**

Takeru and a Riolu watched while sitting on a rock, as they witnessed the start of the battle. Pikachu and Sandile glared at each other, both determined to win while Ash prepared to make a move against his wild opponent. "Okay, Sandile! We'll be taking the first attack! Now, Pikachu! Thunderbolt, go!" Ash called, pointing at Sandile.

**Ash: Pikachu VS Sandile**

"Wait, what!? Ash, no! Electric Type moves won't work against a Ground Type like Sandile!" Takeru warned. His warning came too late however, as the Thunderbolt was shot, while also doing its work... by zero percent. Sandile just laughed at Pikachu's pitiful attempt to hurt him, as the Kanto trainer was shocked at the results.

"Huh!? Oh man, I guess... I forgot that Sandile was also a Ground Type..." Ash laughed nervously, leaving the Nuvema boy to face palm in disappointment. "Ugh... I don't believe this... You should have been aware about this when you accepted this challenge!" Takeru scolded annoyingly as he slumped down on the rock once again.

Suddenly, Sandile lunged at Pikachu with its giant mouth wide, leaving the Kanto trainer to refocus on the battle. "That's Bite! Quick, Pikachu! Use Iron Tail, let's go!" Ash yelled. At the command, Pikachu shot into the air, focusing its power on the Steel Type attack. Once the timing was done, Bite missed while the Iron Tail made a hit!

Sandile yelled in pain before regaining its composure on the ground as it glared at his Electric Type rival with a smirk. But suddenly, a Ducklett came out of the bushes, walking right in the middle of the battle! Pikachu, Riolu, and Sandile were surprised, as well as the trainers. "Huh? Who's that Pokémon? Let's see..." Ash whispered, taking out his Pokédex.

_"Ducklett, the Water Bird Pokémon. A skilled diver, Ducklett swims underwater in search of its favorite food: peat moss."_ Ash's Pokédex buzzed. "Oh, so that's a Ducklett..." Ash whispered. "Pika..." Pikachu agreed, realizing the name as well. "But what's a Ducklett doing here? And right in the middle of your battle?" Takeru asked curiously.

_"Doesn't this mean interference? Like a penalty of some sort?"_ Riolu asked, cocking his head to one side, leaving the Nuvema boy to explain with a chuckle. "That's only for when the battle is official, Riolu. Not in a mocking battle." Takeru answered, rubbing Riolu's head, much to the Emanation Pokémon's chagrin. _"Oh..."_ Riolu mumbled.

"Yeah... What Takeru said, we're in the middle of a battle here..." Ash tried to explain, as Ducklett just blinked. But for Sandile, he was annoyed with the interference as he tried to push the Water Bird Pokémon out of the way. "Sandile! Sand!" Sandile demanded, as he nudged Ducklett away, much to the Water-Flying Type's surprise.

"Hey... Isn't that a bit rude? You can just ask, you know?" Takeru scolded once again, much to Sandile's chagrin, until he came face to face with Ducklett once again. "Sandile!" "Ducklett!?" "SAAAND-!?" The two argued for a moment, until the Dark-Ground Type opened its mouth wide enough for Ducklett to stick its head in!

Sandile began to sputter in surprise as the Water Bird Pokémon searched in its mouth, which caused both Takeru and Riolu to sweat drop with a startled expression. "What the... Does it think that the peat moss is INSIDE Sandile's mouth...?" Takeru sputtered, not knowing how to say his words correctly at the scene.

"I... don't know." Ash answered with a sweat drop. A few seconds later, Sandile coughed Ducklett's head out, much to its relief. It soon glared at the Water Bird Pokémon, yelling at it for its inappropriate actions. "Sandile! Sand!" Sandile snapped, only for the Water-Flying Type to do another mischievious trick with the Desert Croc Pokémon.

It tickled Sandile's nose with the feathers on its right wing, causing Sandile to stutter and gasp. Once the ticklish feeling reached the Dark-Ground Type, Sandile gave a loud sneeze, which knocked his sunglasses right onto Ducklett's eyes! Once it sticked to its face, Ducklett let out an amused cry, seeing the sunglasses cool for some reason.

"Huh?!" "What the..." Ash and Takeru were startled to see this, as well as Pikachu and Riolu. For Sandile, the Desert Croc Pokémon became teary and pleaded for his sunglasses back. "Sand? Sandile Sand Sandile..." Sandile pleaded, wanting his sunglasses back. At first, it seems that Ducklett refused as it adjusted the glasses on its face, as it slid on one side.

"Sandile? Sandile Sand Sandile! Sandile Sandile!" Sandile pleaded once again, only this time, it sounded even more desperate than the first pleading. Once again, it looked as if Ducklett refused as it began to walk off, before it turned to Sandile with the sunglasses in its left wing, which looked as if it was planning to give it back!

The Dark-Ground Type seemed pleased and happily tried to get it back, only to get a surprise attack from the Ducklett's Water Gun attack! Sandile sputtered in shock as he was sent back, as he slammed against Ash, Takeru, Pikachu, and Riolu, much to their surprise. Ducklett just laughed as it flew off, with Sandile's sunglasses still on its face!

As the Ducklett disappeared, the two boys could only watch in disbelief on what they had just witnessed. "Man... What is up with that Ducklett?" Ash asked, confused on what happened. "All I can say is... This Ducklett is a trickster... And a not very nice one as well..." Takeru grumbled in annoyance as he dusted himself off.

Just as the Nuvema boy got up, something else tackled him to the ground! "What the- GAH!" Takeru yelped as he fell on his back once more, much to Ash, Pikachu, and Riolu's surprise. Even Sandile was shocked by the time he had recovered from the surprise attack. "Oh no! Takeru! What happened!?" "Pika!?" Ash and Pikachu gasped.

_"Big bro!?"_ Riolu shrieked in concern and desperation. He ran over to see who had attacked his human brother. Luckily, the dust cleared enough for Riolu to see who the culprit of the attack was! It was a dark and navy dinosaur looking Pokémon. Its eyes were covered by its dark fur, making it look like the Pokémon was blind.

Takeru groaned and opened its eyes, only to feel something sticky all over his face! The Pokémon was licking his face, much to his chagrin as he sputtered, as he attempted to get the Pokémon off of him. "Ack! Ugh... Come on! Please, get off of me!" Takeru sputtered as Riolu and Pikachu got the Pokémon off of the Nuvema boy, whose face was covered with saliva.

"Who's that Pokémon?" Ash asked, as Takeru took out his Pokédex. "It's a Deino... That's what it is." Takeru answered. _"Deino, the Irate Pokémon. Because Deino never stops biting anything it can, it is dangerous to approach without taking precautions." _Takeru's Pokédex buzzed. The Pokédex was proven right as the Irate Pokémon began to bite on Riolu's arm.

_"OW! I'm not food! Get off of my paw!" _Riolu yelped as he tried to knock Deino away. Deino immediately released Riolu as it dodged the punch. "Whoa... That's a rambunctious Pokémon..." Ash commented in surprise. "Pika..." Pikachu agreed. "Deino! Dei! Dei! Deino!" Deino whined, as it looked around, searching for something.

_"Deino is wondering where his berries went. He's so hungry, he seems to want to bite everything around him." _Riolu translated. "Then, why did he lick me instead of biting me?" Takeru asked, as he was still annoyed with the saliva on his face. "Dei... Deino Deino..." Deino said with a small blush on his face.

_"He says that you smelled like fruit, only to realize that you were just a human."_ Riolu translated once again. That caused the Nuvema boy to blush a little as he twitched his eyes. "I... smell like fruit?" Takeru stuttered. Pikachu gave a sniff on the Nuvema boy and confirmed it with a nod. "Pika! Pikachu!" Pikachu agreed.

"I guess Pikachu agrees, too!" Ash laughed. Thst made the Nuvema boy sweat drop even more, as he realized he did smell like a fruit as he smelt himself as well, much to his embarrassment. "Ugh... How awkward can this get?" Takeru mumbled, as he face palmed for Deino's reason of thudding into him.

**Later...**

Omce the situation was done, the two boys looked around for the tricky Ducklett with Pikachu, Riolu, Sandile, and Deino. Deino joined in order to get his food back, in case if it wasn't eaten yet, which he believed it wasn't. "I wonder where it went..." Ash wondered, looking around. Takeru narrowed his eyes, while scanning the trees.

"It's probably around here somewhere, probably laughing at us for trying to find it. Like a game of hide and seek." Takeru guessed, which caused the Kanto trainer to widen his eyes. "You really think so?" Ash asked, wondering if a Pokémon like that could really be cruel. "Sandile..." The Desert Croc Pokémon sighed sadly.

"Sandile, we'll get your sunglasses back! You can count on us!" Ash assured with a grin. "Yeah... And that goes for Deino, too. We'll find your berries and take them back... if they're not eaten yet..." Takeru assured as well, but remembered how berries wouldn't last that long. Nevertheless, Deino seemed touched as it smiled happily.

Sandile, on the other hand, smiled happily at the two boys with teary eyes, believing that they would keep their promise. But suddenly, as they were all walking, a swarm of Woobat shot out of the trees, which startled Sandile, as the Dark-Ground Type shrieked, before it latched itself onto Ash's left arm, much to Takeru's surprise.

The Kanto trainer just smiled as he took Sandile in his arms, assuring to it that was okay. "Come on, Sandile. It's all a bunch of Woobats!" Ash reminded, much to the Dark-Ground Type's chagrin. "You feel really uneasy without those sunglasses, don't you, Sandile?" Ash asked, to which Sandile confirmed with a nod and a sigh.

"Cheer up, Sandile! Everything is going to be just fine! You've got Pikachu, Riolu, Takeru, Deino, and me right on your side!" Ash assured with a promising smile. "Pika!" _"Mm-hm!"_ Pikachu and Riolu confirmed together with smiles on their faces. "You've got that right, Ash." Takeru agreed with a chuckle.

Then suddenly, something else caught the boys and their Pokémon's attention! Everyone turned to see Deino head-butting against a tree! "What!?" Takeru yelped in shock. As Deino kept head-butting against a tree, nothing came out, despite the numerous times of head-butting. With frustration in its mind, it began to chomp on the tree instead!

"Wha!? What's Deino doing!? That tree is not its food!" Ash shrieked in shock. At that point, Takeru and Riolu together pulled Deino off, causing it to protest, before it looked straight into Takeru's brown eyes. "Unless we find your berries, you can't bite or Headbutt on anything else, alright? That will only make things worse." Takeru scolded.

Deino whined in protest, but knew that the human was right. It began to pout as it trudged back on the path, with Pikachu, Sandile, and Riolu feeling sorry for the Irate Pokémon. But suddenly, something else zipped past everyone! And at the same time, Ash's hat had vanished right from his head, much to the Kanto trainer's shock.

It was another Ducklett! This time, it looked like it was wearing a half-black and half-crystal white necklace around its neck, with Ash's hat on top of its head. "Wha!? Back again, huh?... Now, hold on..." Ash snapped, before he realized something. Before he could say it, Sandile held onto Ash's left leg tightly, frightened once again.

At that moment, the Ducklett ran off, leaving Ash to just watch it disappear into the bushes once more. "Hey! Give me back my hat!" Ash demanded angrily. At the demand, the Ducklett turned, shooting an Ice Beam attack towards the two boys and their Pokémon! "Incoming Ice Beam!" Takeru warned as he dodged out of the way.

Riolu, Deino, Pikachu, and Ash dodged out of the way, with Sandile still attached to his leg. "Ah! That's Ice Beam!?" Ash yelped in shock. Everyone turned back to see Ducklett laughing as it shot another Ice Beam attack. Feeling insulted by the Ducklett, Deinp angrily shot a Dragon Rage attack, which exploded as it collided with Ice Beam.

"That was Deino's Dragon Rage attack!" Takeru pointed out. As the smoke cleared away, the boys noticed the Ducklett flying away, forcing another chase for the two boys. "Hey! Come back here, you coward!" Takeru snapped angrily. He ran first for the Ducklett, leaving the Kanto trainer to run after him. "Huh!? Takeru, wait up!" Ash called.

As the chase continued on, the Ducklett with Ash's hat and the necklace led the two boys and the Pokémon to where another Ducklett was! That Ducklett had Sandile's glasses on, as they high-fived each other before laughing at their victims. "There's the one that took Sandile's sunglasses!" Ash pointed out.

Before the Nuvema boy could react, he noticed something that the Ducklett with Ash's hat and the necklace had. "Wait a second... That necklace... Ah! YOU LITTLE SNEAK! That's my special necklace that you're wearing right now! Give it here right now!" Takeru bellowed, much to the Kanto trainer's surprise. "N-Necklace? Takeru, what are you talking about?" Ash asked.

"That necklace was given to me by my Mom and Dad! It has been with me since I was four, until that little thief took it with him!" Takeru snapped angrily, his fists clenching. Riolu widened his eyes, before he glared at the two Duckletts angrily. _"Give my brother's necklace back, you thieves! Or you'll be sorry!"_ Riolu barked angrily.

The Duckletts only laughed at the threat, until Ash called for an attack. "Okay, Pikachu! Use Thunderbolt, let's go!" Ash yelled. The Electric Type nodded as he shot an Electric Type attack at the Duckletts, as Takeru attacked as well. "Take them down with your ThunderPunch, Riolu! Show no mercy!" Takeru hissed angrily.

_"Right! HAH!"_ Riolu yelled. After the Thunderbolt did its work, the ThunderPunch attack zapped the two Water-Flying Types, before knocking them down. Seeing it as a chance, Ash turned to the Pokémon and his Unova friend with a quick choice. "Alright! Let's get our stuff back!" Ash called. "You don't have to tell us twice!" Takeru assured.

But just before the two boys, Pikachu, Riolu, Deino, or Sandile could move, another Ducklett slammed them away with a Wing Attack! It was the same Ducklett who stole Cilan's dish pan! As the third joined his two friends, they laughed together, with the first two recovering from the double Electric Type attacks. They all laughed together, much to Takeru and Ash's dismay.

"Great... Now we have to deal with three Duckletts..." Ash groaned in dismay. "This is really getting tedious here..." Takeru grumbled angrily as he stood up with annoyance. But suddenly, one of the Duckletts shot a Scald attack, which Ash took as he tossed Sandile away for his safety. He didn't count on being hit, though.

"AHHHH! THAT SCALD IS BOILING!" Ash screamed, much to Takeru and Pikachu's shock. "Ash, no!" Takeru gasped in shock. "Uh... Of... course... That... Ice... Beam... is... not..." Ash said while frozen as he twitched in the ice. The Nuvema boy sweat dropped before he angrily turned to the three troublemakers with annoyance.

"Okay, you three! This has gone far enough! Give us back our things right now!" Takeru demanded angrily. Despite the angry face and the dangerous threat, the Duckletts kept laughing, as they sounded as if they refused to do so. For Ash, Sandile managed to free him with a Bite attack, as he bit the frozen Ash out of the ice, much to his relief.

"Ugh... Huh... Man, that was cold. Hey, Sandile... Thanks..." Ash thanked as he shook by the cold. "Sand Sandile!" "Pikachu!" Sandile and Pikachu replied with smiles on their faces. To the Duckletts, they kept laughing, taunting their enemies as Riolu began to twitch in anger. _"Quit laughing, you bird brains! Just give it back!"_ Riolu snapped.

But instead of obeying, they instead flew off, forcing the two boys to follow with the Pokémon besides them. As the chase continued on, it led them to a giant tree, which could be the place where the Duckletts lived in! As Ash and Takeru arrived, they watched as the Water-Flying Types flew into the tree opening, and throwing some stuff away!

The incoming attacks from the stolen items forced the boys and the Pokémon to dodge out of the way, as the three came out with a soccer ball and a violet umbrella. "What are those three up to?" Takeru asked, feeling suspicious about this. "Argh! Who cares! Pikachu, give them another one of your Thunderbolts!" Ash yelled.

"Pika!" Pikachu called. But, just as the Electric Type was about to charge up for a Thunderbolt, the Duckletts released the soccer ball and the umbrella! The ball hit both Ash and Sandile, while the umbrella trapped Pikachu inside! The electricity from the Thunderbolt was trapped as well, forcing the attack to hurt Pikachu instead!

"Ah! Pikachu!? "Oh no!" Ash and Takeru gasped in shock. Sandile, Deino, and a Riolu were shocked to see what was going on with the Electric Type as well! If this kept on, Pikachu would end up being overloaded with electricity, and not be able to use its attacks like before!

To be continued...

**Takeru's Team:**

**Riolu: (M): (Force Palm, Blaze Kick, ThunderPunch, Dig)**

**Joltik: (M): (Electro Ball, Electroweb, String Shot, Signal Beam)**

**Tranquill: (M): (Air Cutter, Gust, Roost, Aerial Ace)**

**Tepig: (M): (Flamethrower, Smog, Flame Charge, Rollout)**

**Zorua: (F): (Scratch, Leer, Pursuit, ?)**

**Petilil: (F): (Magical Leaf, Stun Spore, Mega Drain, Sleep Powder)**

Next chapters:

**Chapter 40: Deino VS Ducklett! A New Choice!**

**Chapter 41: The Past!? Or is it Memories!?**

**Chapter 42: The Memory World of Gothitelle!**

**Chapter 43: The Invasion of the Venipede!**

**Chapter 44: Settle Down, Venipede! Case Closed!?**

**Next chapter preview:**

Ash: Oh man... Look on how many things they stole? My hat is there, and so is your necklace, Takeru!

Takeru: Hm? Those Sitrus and Oran berries... Ugh... I see... Those pesky ducks have stolen Deino's lunch from him.

Ash: Lunch? The berries? They do look good... Ah! What am I saying?! We're getting our things back right now!

Iris: Oh, why you Duckletts! I can't let you three get away after for what you've three done!

Cilan: I have to say... Such behavior is quite intolerable and disruptive to my taste!

Takeru: Eh? What's that... My necklace that the Ducklett stole... It's glowing? HEY! Give it back right here and right now!


	40. Deino VS Ducklett! A New Choice!

**Chapter 40: Deino VS Ducklett! A New Choice!**

Last time on "Pokémon Unova Journey", while heading for Castelia City for Ash and Takeru's third Gym battle against Burgh, the group were taking a break for lunch, while Takeru, Ash, and Iris were training hard in order to increase their Pokémon's strength and stamina. Zorua had once again won the battle, with the Dragon Rage once again self-destructing.

But then, before lunch could be served, a hole opened up, causing both Ash and Takeru to fall into the hole, along with Pikachu and Riolu. As they fell all the way to another hole that led to the lower grounds, they reunited with a familiar and stubborn Ground-Dark Type Pokémon: the sunglasses Sandile, who wanted to challenge Riolu and Pikachu to a battle.

Annoyed for being dragged by Sandile's selfish actions, Takeru refused to take part of the battle, leaving Sandile to battle Pikachu, only to be interfered by a Ducklett who stole Sandile's sunglasses. There were more, as the second one took Ash's hat and Takeru's special black-white necklace, while the third one took Cilan's dish pan.

As the two boys tried to attack with Pikachu's Thunderbolt, it backfired as the Ducklett trapped Pikachu in an umbrella, forcing Pikachu to overload himself with electricity!

* * *

Inside the pink umbrella, Pikachu was still trapped, forcing him to take all the electricity he shot out to himself, causing him to overload! "Pikachu!?" Ash gasped as he ran to grab the umbrella. "Ash, no! Don't be reckless!" Takeru warned. Despite the warning, the Kanto trainer grabbed onto the umbrella, causing him to get shocked!

Ash grunted in pain as he struggled to get the umbrella off of his Electric Type partner. "Tch..." Takeru gritted his teeth as he grabbed onto the umbrella too, taking the shock as well. Both boys began to struggle lifting the umbrella off, until Sandile jumped in, using Bite to drag the umbrella off of Pikachu! The burnt umbrella fell to the ground.

As for Pikachu, he began to pant, feeling sick and tired for the electricity that's been loaded into his body. "Pikachu, are you okay!?" Ash asked, as he held his Electric Type in his arms, only to get a little shock from Pikachu's overloaded electricity. "No... Pikachu took too much electricity into his body from that Thunderbolt attack!" Takeru answered.

He narrowed his eyes, feeling Pikachu's forehead, ignoring the little shock that was inflicted to his body. "We can't fight them here now! We have to retreat!" Takeru declared. "I think those Duckletts are making those options easier for us, big bro!" Riolu gasped, catching the Nuvema boy's attention. The three Duckletts shot their Water Gun attacks!

It missed both Deino and Sandile, causing Ash to panic. "Come on, Sandile! Deino! Let's run!" Ash yelped, issuing a retreat. With that said, the two boys ran back to the forest, narrowly dodging the triple Water Gun attacks that's been blasted right towards them! As they disappeared out of sight, the three Duckletts began to laugh, believing they're victorious in the 'war'.

**Meanwhile...**

Oshawott, Zorua, Scraggy, and Axew ran around the grassland, as they were searching for Ash, Takeru, Pikachu, and Riolu, too! They looked around, only for Iris to swing after them! "Don't you take another step!" Iris called. The four all turned to see the nature girl land right in front of them as she looked at the four Pokémon with a sigh and a smile.

"Don't run off on your own like that, okay? Now, let's go back and look for Takeru and Ash!" Iris declared, much to Zorua's annoyance. She let out an angry yip before she began to scratch Iris' face! "EEEEK! What are you doing, Zorua!? That hurts!" Iris shrieked as she fell to the ground, startled by the sudden assault from the Tricky Fox Pokémon.

As Zorua finished her attack, she scoffed and turned her head away, before transforming into Iris, much to her shock. "Huh!? You're me!?" Iris shrieked, as Zorua began to imitate of what Iris said. _**"Don't run off on your own like that, okay? Now, let's go back and look for Takeru and Ash!"** _Zorua giggled, much to Iris' annoyance.

"HEY! What are you copying me for!?" Iris shrieked angrily, much to Zorua's amusement as she transformed back into her original self. "I think Zorua is saying that going back isn't neccessary anymore!" Cilan guessed as he began to climb down from his rope. Iris turned to see her Connoisseur friend climb down with Pansage above him.

"Huh? How come?" Iris asked as she placed a bandage on her cheek to cover Zorua's scratch marks. "Well, we came out through that hole and ended up here, correct?" Cilan reminded, pointing to the hole that Ash and Takeru fell through. "Pansage!" The Grass Monkey Pokémon confirmed with a nod and a smile. "Ew ew ew!" Axew cried, happy to see his Grass Type friend.

"Oh... I see. So that means that Ash, Pikachu, Riolu, and Takeru came out this way as well!" Iris replied in realization, causing the Tricky Fox Pokémon to sigh in disappointment, believing that the girl was dense. This was going to take a long time if they were going to find her trainer and Riolu at this rate.

**Back to Ash and Takeru...**

While taking cover from the Ducklett triplets, Ash, Takeru, and the four Pokémon watched as the Ducklett began to play with all the things that they've stolen. One Ducklett had a noisemaker in its mouth as it placed the noisemaker on top of the second Ducklett's head. The third Ducklett with Ash's hat and Takeru's necklace grew curious as it ran over to see what it was.

As it looked inside the noisemaker, the first one blew the fun tool, blasting a loud noise in front of the third Ducklett's face! The third one laughed, seeing that the noisemaker was noisy and fun all at the same time. Even the second one felt the vibrations of the sound, making it think that it was funny, too.

"Man... Look at all the stuff they got..." Ash replied, amazed on how many things the triplets have stolen. "I guess we're not the only victims to fall into their triple trap..." Takeru grumbled, as he was still annoyed with the one that stole his special necklace, and on how he and Ash were made fun of, along with their four Pokémon friends.

"Sand..." Sandile sighed. "Dei!? Deino! Deino!" Deino shrieked, as he noticed his lunch up ahead. Takeru turned his attention to see some berries near where the burnt umbrella was, which seemed far from the three Water-Flying Types. "And there's Deino's lunch..." Takeru added with a sigh, only for Deino's mouth to water in hope and desire.

"Don't even think about it, Deino. Charge in recklessly, and those three will counter you, attacking you while taunting you at the same time. Is that what you want?" Takeru asked, forcing Deino's desire to float away in its head, much to its dismay. "Dei..." Deino moaned as its stomach growled again. "Looks like Deino's really hungry..." Ash reminded.

At the Kanto trainer's statement, Takeru sighed, seeing how Deino felt as of now. "We'll just snag our things and the berries back, and that's when you can eat the berries as much as you want, alright?" Takeru offered, catcing the Irate Pokémon's attention. "Dei... Deino Dei." Deino replied, making a reluctant reply and a nod, which sounded like it agreed to the offer.

"That's right! And we're gonna get your sunglasses back too, Sandile! So, don't worry!" Ash assured. "Pikachu... Pi!?" Pikachu started, only to feel some overloaded electricity to startle him, before he shook it off, not wanting to be bothered by it. Ash noticed this and looked at his partner in concern. "Pikachu? Is something wrong?" Ash asked, confused.

"Pika!" Pikachu reassured, giving a grin to his trainer and friend. The Nuvema boy, however, knew what the problem was. "Pikachu is trying not to concern Ash, but... I know too well that Pikachu can't use his Electric powers at the moment, no thanks to those Duckletts trapping it inside the umbrella..." Takeru thought, as he glanced back at the Duckletts.

"Big bro, will everything be okay?" Riolu asked, tugging onto his human brother's arm. Takeru gave a glance at Riolu with a smile in assurance. "Yeah... I can tell that things will be alright, if we stay cool and calm..." Takeru assured. "Yeah, but... None of us have our Pokéballs, so I'm guessing it's up to us." Ash reminded, which Takeru nodded at.

"Right... You guys ready?" Takeru asked. "Yeah!" "Pika!" "Sand!" _"Yes, sir!"_ "Dei!" His five comrades agreed, as they all got out of their hiding place, so that they could confront their tricky opponents. As they walked closer to the Ducklett trio, the three noticed the two humans their four Pokémon friends coming to them, as they got ready to fight.

But, that was when the two boys stepped up, with Ash starting the talk. "We don't want to fight with you guys! Really! We just want our stuff back!" Ash explained, causing the trio to look at the Kanto trainer in confusion. "Duck?" The three all said together in confusion. The Nuvema boy cleared his throat, before making his words to the three.

"We all know that you may like to keep our things for fun... but, the things you're playing with aren't your toys. They belong to us, and they're really important for us to have. So, we just wanted to ask you three if we could have things back without a fight." Takeru explained calmly. Both Sandile and Deino stepped up, making their words as well.

"Sand Sandile Sandile Sand!" Sandile pleaded, as he wanted his sunglasses back. "Deino! Dei Dei Deino Dei!" Deino pleaded as well, wanting his berries back so that he could have his lunch. "You've got to try to understand! Those sunglasses mean a lot to Sandile! It likes wearing them!" "Pika Pika!" Ash and Pikachu explained carefully.

"And for the berries, those berries are the ones that Deino really likes to eat!" Takeru explained with a frown on his face. _"That's right... It's something that he couldn't resist to eat, which is why he kept chasing you guys so that he can have those berries, even though he could've searched for other berries by himself."_ Riolu added along.

At the words and explanations, the three looked at each other, before the one with the sunglasses took it off of its face. It held the glasses, walking over to the two boys and to Sandile. "Wow! You're really going to give them back?" Ash asked, amazed on how the Ducklett suddenly changed. "Sand..." Sandile replied shakily as it felt touched.

But suddenly, Riolu widened his eyes and let out a surprised bark. _"Everyone! Get out of the way!"_ Riolu barked loudly, startling the two boys and the other Pokémon. But, it was too late as the Ducklett shot a Water Gun attack, blasting Ash, Takeru, Pikachu, Deino, and Sandile away! Riolu narrowly dodged the attack, only to be splashed by another Water Gun attack.

The six all tumbled across the ground, causing the Ducklett trio to laugh in amusement, seeing that the six all fell for their simple trick! Annoyed by their trickery, Ash and Takeru both got up, glaring at the mischievous trio. "Oh why you... I guess our words meant nothing to you, huh!?" Takeru snapped angrily, as he clenched his fists.

"We've had just enough with you three!" Ash snapped as he rose up, recovering from the surprise attack. "Riolu, pay them back with your ThunderPunch attack!" Takeru yelled. _"Roger that!"_ Riolu snapped as he lashed at the three with ThunderPunch, shocking the one who had Ash's hat and Takeru's necklace. The second staggered back, only for the other two to counter.

They shot Water Gun at the Emanation Pokémon, knocking him back to where Takeru is. _"Ugh! I was caught off guard..."_ Riolu grunted as he stood up. "Okay, then! It's our turn! Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Ash called. Pikachu nodded and began to charge up for his Electric Type attack, only for nothing to come out! "Pika...?" Pikachu replied, confused.

This caught both boys' attention, as well as the other three Pokémon were confused on why Pikachu wasn't attacking. "Pikachu, what's the matter?" Ash asked, as the Electric Type kept trying to attack. "Is something wrong with your Electric Type moves?" Ash asked, until Takeru came up with an answer as he realized that the situation looked familiar.

"Hold on... This happened before, right? When you battled Trip the first time! Only except... I think Pikachu can't use his moves because of what those three did! Remember the umbrella trapping Pikachu inside?" Takeru explained, causing the Kanto trainer to widen his eyes. "Ah! I get it! So that's why!?" Ash exclaimed in surprirse.

Pikachu sadly nodded, feeling bad for not being able to use any Electric Type attacks. Takeru frowned, before looking back at the three. "In that case, Riolu and I will handle this! Use Blaze Kick, Riolu!" Takeru called. The Emanation Pokémon nodded and shot in the air, before slamming the Ducklett with Cilan's dish pan with the Fire Type attack.

But just as the other two were about to attack, Deino fired some fire onto the other two, catching their attention. "Whoa! What did Deino do!?" Ash yelped in surprise. "Incinerate... Deino, are you saying you want to help, too?" Takeru asked. "Dei! Deino Dei!" Deino cried with a smile and a nod on its face. Riolu hopped back and began to translate.

_"Deino says that it wants to help take down these bullies with us because they're mean, and because he also wants his berries back."_ Riolu explained, causing the Nuvema boy to sweat drop with a nervous smile on his face. "Well... I guess I could understand the food part..." Takeru chuckled nervously, before turning back to the Ducklett trio.

Sandile, feeling bad for his Electric Type rival then stepped up, glaring at his three enemies. "Sandile, it's great that you want to battle, but Ducklett is a Water Type Pokémon!" Ash reminded, causing the Desert Croc Pokémon to turn and understand the tough situation. "Sand!" Sandile cried out, saying it still wanted to battle even with the high risk.

"Alright... We're all here if you need us, okay?" Ash asked. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu agreed along. "Just don't let your guard down or otherwise, you're toast..." Takeru reminded with a serious look on his face. "Sand!" Sandile confirmed, understanding the risks. The trio all laughed at seeing their three opponents, as they also prepared to battle as well.

They tossed Ash's hat, Cilan's dish pan, and Sandile's sunglasses away in a pile before they began their attacks. Sandile started the attack with Stone Edge, which all three dodged. "Now, Deino! Use Incinerate on all of them!" Takeru called. Deino hastily used his Fire Type move, burning two of the Duckletts, while missing the third one!

The first two shrieked in pain, before they glared at Deino annoyingly, until Riolu stepped up to make his move. "And Riolu! Add the damage with ThunderPunch!" Takeru added, which the Fighting Type nodded on. _"Okay!"_ Riolu grunted as he punched the second and the third, while leaving the first shocked to see its comrades fall.

For the second Ducklett, it started to get really annoyed for being attacked twice as it shot an Ice Beam attack at Sandile! Ash took this chance to command Sandile to evade it. "Sandile, dodge it!" Ash called. The Desert Croc Pokémon evaded the Ice Type attack, as the first one shot Deino with a Scald attack. "You counter that with Dragon Rage, Deino!" Takeru called.

The Irate Pokémon released his ball of energy, which collided with the Scald attack. The two attacks collided together, creating a large smokescreen. But suddenly, the third one flew right over where Riolu was! _"Ah!"_ Riolu yelped as Takeru gritted his teeth. "Dodge its attack, Riolu!" Takeru warned, as the Ducklett shot its Water Gun attack.

Ash was ready to counter it, as he took this chance to defend his friend. "Pikachu, use Iron Tail to protect Riolu!" Ash called. The Electric Type nodded as he nullified the Water Gun attack with the Steel Type attack, enough to protect his shocked friend. "W-Wow... Thanks, Pikachu!" Riolu thanked, which Pikachu responded with a smile and a "Pika!".

But suddenly, the trio seemed to have a plan as they began to discuss it over for a while before they started their attacks! They flew in the air, heading towards their four opponents. "What are they... Riolu, use Force Palm!" Takeru called. The Emanation Pokémon nodded and sped towards the Ducklett trio with his Fighting Type move, only for it to miss!

_"Huh!? What the..."_ Riolu started, as Pikachu missed the three as well with Quick Attack! The two starters looked behind them to see that the Ducklett trio were actually attempting to strike Sandile and Deino all at the same time! The two Dark Types shrieked in surprise, until they took several hits from the multiple Wing Attacks!

"Hey! Ganging up is no fair, so stop it!" Ash snapped. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu cried along. "Alright, you three! That's gone way too far!" Takeru snapped as he leapt towards the three. _"You can't just gang up on our friends like that, you bullies!"_ Riolu snapped along. At that, the four all collided with the trio, Deino, and Sandile, creating a huge amount of dust in the air!

They all began to fight with pecking, punching, biting, pulling, and kicking. After the fight, both sides all skidded back to their sides as the two boys were beaten up from the collision, as well as the four Pokémon on their side. The Ducklett trio on the other hand, seemed fine as they smirked at their look-like defeated opponents, believing that they have won.

But then, Takeru smirked, slowly getting up with something in his hand. "HEY! You three... Aren't you missing something like this!?" Takeru called as he held up his black-white necklace. The Ducklett who had his necklace sweat dropped and gasped, seeing that it didn't have the necklace anymore. "You got your necklace back, Takeru?" Ash asked.

"Yeah... I managed to get it back during that scuffle of ours..." Takeru grunted as he wore it around his neck again. But just as he wore it again, the necklace began to glow a bit, startling the two boys and the four Pokémon. "Huh!? Takeru... What's going on!?" Ash asked in surprise, as the Nuvema boy grew confused with the sudden occurrence.

"Don't ask me! This is new to me, too!" Takeru yelped as he panicked at the sudden glow. Even the Ducklett trio seemed surprised as blue electricity crackled from the necklace, surrounding Takeru as he widened his eyes at this. "Wha... WHAT IS THIS!?" Takeru screamed as the electricity merged into his body, causing a bright glow to blind everyone else.

_"BIG BRO!"_ "TAKERU!" Riolu and Ash cried out, as they tried to reach for the Nuvema boy only for the blinding blue light to stop them from getting any closer.

**Back to Cilan and Iris...**

Cilan and Iris were still running with Zorua, Oshawott, Axew, and Scraggy to find Ash and Takeru only for them to see the glowing blue light. "Huh!? What's going on over there!?" Iris shrieked in surprise as she was startled by the sudden glow. "I don't know, but I think that one thing's for sure, Ash and Takeru could be in trouble if they're over there!" Cilan answered as they began to run towards the glow.

**Meanwhile...**

At another part of the forest, a boy with two Pokémon was walking around the forest until they all noticed the same blue blinding light. "Huh? What the heck is that?" The boy asked in surprise as his green eyes widened a little in surprise. He looked like a teen, 15 or 16 or some sort. He also wore a midnight black and white trench coat with hood, while also wearing combat boots.

He narrowed his eyes, feeling serious about the glow. "Something big must be happening over there... Right, Chi? Ryuu?" The boy asked, turning to his two Pokémon. "Rio..." "Ua." His two Pokémon, **Ryuu** the Riolu and **Chikage** the Zorua agreed with serious looks on their faces.

**Back to Takeru...**

**Dream**

Takeru slowly opened his eyes to see himself inside a familiar space. "This place again... Zekrom?" Takeru called as he turned to face the legendary black dragon Pokémon. **_"Takeru... I am glad to see you safe. I lost connection with you for a moment until it was fixed again... What happened?"_ **Zekrom asked, with the Nuvema boy frowning.

"It's a long story... It involved some Duckletts stealing the black and white necklace of mine and-" Takeru didn't get to finish as lightning rumbled loudly into the sky, shocking the Nuvema boy. "...Was it something that I said?" Takeru asked as Zekrom closed his eyes for a moment, before opening them once again as he explained.

_**"Takeru... That necklace... The one you're wearing right now, is no ordinary necklace. I believe that necklace is somehow another part of you... and the reason why we're able to talk like this."** _Zekrom explained, causing the Nuvema boy to widen his eyes in shock at the revelation. "What... What do you mean by that?" Takeru asked.

**_"I said this before, I lost connection to you for a moment, which could seem that after you lost your necklace for a moment, it seems that I couldn't connect with you. But since you've retrieved it, you are here right now, speaking to me at the moment."_ **Zekrom explained as Takeru began to sweat, not quite understanding the complicated situation.

"This necklace... The one Dad gave me... is the reason why I'm able to talk to you like this...? Wait... I remember, the necklace glowed when I got it back from the Duckletts... Electricity started to surround me and... merged with my body. Why...? Why did it happen? Is this a new sign of some sort?" Takeru asked, feeling nervous with realization.

Zekrom seemed surprised at the moment, before he made a grunt, which seemed like a proud grunt or some sort. **_"If that happened... then I believe, it's time for me to give you the power that I've prepared for you... The power to help your friends... to support your Pokémon... and to protect yourself."_ **Zekrom roared as he reached his black giant arm towards Takeru.

"Wait... Zekrom, what are you doing!? What's going to happen to me- AH!" Takeru once again didn't get to finish as Zekrom's hand lifted his body as the hand lifted him up to Zekrom's face, allowing him to stand up and face his legendary friend. _**"Do not fear, my child. This will not harm you, I promise. This will help you on your journey on your way."**_ Zekrom assured.

At those words, he began to glow, with electricity coming out of his body. Takeru's body began to glow as well, as some of the electricity started to merge with Takeru's body. The Nuvema boy wanted to scream, until he felt a warm feeling. The electricity Zekrom was giving him wasn't harming him, but it felt like... it was comforting him... caring him.

Takeru closed his eyes in deep sleep as his legendary friend began to give him the power that he needs to have to continue his journey and to support his friends and his Pokémon.

**Reality**

The glow stopped as Ash opened his eyes to see the spot where Takeru was. "What... Takeru- HUH!?" Ash started, then yelped in shock as he widened his eyes. "PIKA!?"_ "Huh...? Big bro...? Is that... you?"_ Pikachu was shocked, while Riolu was speechless as his eyes widened along to see his human brother look a bit different. Even Sandile and Deino were shocked at this.

Takeru indeed looked different. His hair was black, but with blue-white, cold looking bangs temporarily replacing his yellow bangs. One of his dark brown eyes became bright red on the left, with his right eye having the same color as his original looks. He had a black line tattoo under his right eye, while a white line tattoo under his left eye.

His left hand had a white fingerless glove, but with a **black dragon** head symbol on the center of the back. His right hand had a black fingerless glove, with a **white dragon** head symbol on the center of the back as well. His black-white necklace's string became a chain, with the necklace having three sections now, showing the **yin**, **yang**, and **wuji** symbol.

His red sneakers became black-white combat boots, with his white jacket becoming black-white mixed as well as his black wristband on his left wrist, while white on his right wrist. His jeans became black and white mixed as well, while his body kept glowing a little with sky-blue light, which seemed to look like a shield for him.

"Takeru... What... happened to you?" Ash asked in amazement and shock as his Unova friend. "This is my... My..." Takeru started, until he remembered what Zekrom said to him in his sleep in the dream world. _**"...Tao Form..."** _Zekrom's voice reached Takeru's head as he smiled while looking at himself in his new form and power.

"Zekrom... Thank you..." Takeru thanked as he held his necklace with his right hand. He turned to his still shocked Kanto trainer and the four shocked Pokémon. "Ash... Everyone... This is the power that Zekrom gave me... **Tao Form**." Takeru explained as he showed his necklace to the others, as the Kanto trainer widened his eyes even more.

"**Tao Form**? Is this the power of your necklace then, Takeru?" Ash asked, with the Nuvema boy nodding. Then, at the confirmation, the Kanto trainer grinned happily in amazement as he began to inspect Takeru's new form and powers. "Whoa... This is so cool! Takeru, you look so cool in your **Tao Form**!" Ash exclaimed, excited and amazed to see his friend gaining such power.

This caused the Nuvema boy to sweat drop as he cleared his throat. "Um, Ash? Shouldn't we be getting back to the battle now?" Takeru reminded, causing Ash to blink before sweat dropping. "Oh yeah..." Ash replied in agreement. Just as the Kanto trainer agreed, Pikachu shut his eyes and tried to use his Electric Type attacks once more!

Electricity surrounded his body as well as being released to his surroundings! "Huh!? Pikachu!?" Ash started as Takeru turned. His eyes narrowed as he sensed new power coming into Pikachu's body. Then, with all the electric powers being released, a ball made by electricity was formed around his tail, startling Ash, Riolu, Sandile, and Deino.

The Electric Type then launched his attack at the Ducklett trio, as they screamed at being shocked and being sent flying into the air. The Kanto trainer was amazed at the new move Pikachu had used. "Whoa... Pikachu, what was that move?" Ash asked. "Electro Ball... Pikachu learned Electro Ball, that's what it is..." Takeru answered with a small smile on his face.

"Electro Ball?" Ash repeated in amazement, as a familiar voice confirmed it. "What Takeru said is right, Ash! That was indeed Electro Ball!" Cilan confirmed. Both boys and the four Pokémon turned to see Cilan, Iris, Axew, Zorua, Scraggy, and Oshawott coming towards them, as they were all amazed to see the Nuvema boy's new powers.

"You don't know Electro Ball? What a little-" Iris started, only for Takeru's glare to stop her from finishing her words. "Uh... Huh... Never mind." Iris nervously replied, before she turned to Takeru. "Anyways, Takeru! What happened to you!? We saw a bright glow coming from your direction!" Iris explained as she looked from bottom to top of Takeru's **Tao Form**.

"Zekrom gave me new powers, that's all. Thanks to this necklace, I suppose." Takeru explained, showing his Tao Symbol necklace to Cilan and Iris. "Amazing... To think that you would achieve this power... How crispy and spicy!" Cilan commented in amazement. Axew, Oshawott, and Scraggy were all amazed to see their Nuvema friend in the form as well.

Zorua, on the other hand, eyes sparkled to see her human father-figure look different and cool at the same time. "So... Zekrom really gave you this power and form? What is it again? **Tao**..." Iris started, with Ash finishing it with a grin. "It's **Tao Form**!" Ash answered. Just then, both Cilan and Iris noticed Sandile and Deino as the two Dark Types looked at the humans in curiosity.

"Hold on..." Iris started, as she started to recognize Sandile. "Remember that Sandile from before? From the hot sand spa?" Ash asked, with Iris surprised at this. "But, what's it doing here...? And... SO CUTE! That Deino looks so cute!" Iris squealed as she turned her eyes to the Irate Pokémon, who yelped in surprise, before he hid behind the Nuvema boy.

Before Takeru could scold Iris, the four trainers all turned to the Ducklett trio coming back for them! "Those guys again!?" Ash snapped annoyingly, while the Connoisseur blinked in realization. "You mean there are three Duckletts!?" Cilan asked in surprise. Iris, on the other hand, was still annoyed for one of them using Scald at her face.

"Now look, Ducklett! I can't let you use Scald on me like that!" Iris shrieked angrily. "Axew ew!" "Osha!" Axew and Oshawott agreed. In response to the scolding, the trio shot Scald and Ice Beam, all attempting to burn and freeze the four trainers and the Pokémon at the same time! "Uh oh!" Ash gasped in shock. "Incoming!" Cilan yelled.

"Everyone, get behind me!" Takeru shouted out loud. Everyone looked at the Nuvema boy with confused expressions, before they agreed as they ran behind the Nuvema boy. Takeru narrowed his eyes at the incoming Ice Beam and Scald attacks as he focused on his new powers. "Let's see if this works... HERE GOES!" Takeru yelled as he began to glow brightly.

He lifted his fingerless gloved hands into the air as the two gloved hands glowed. Suddenly, a force field appeared, shielding everyone and the Pokémon, while negating Ice Beam and Scald's powers at the same time. "Whoa! You used Protect, but a stronger Protect!" Iris shrieked in amazement. The barrier disappeared, as the trio were shocked to see their attacks didn't work.

"I hope Protect isn't the only thing I can use..." Takeru replied as he clenched his fists. Blue electricity sparkled around his hands as he held his arms in the air, as if he was preparing to attack. "Let's see what this does! HAH!" Takeru called as he focused his powers to launch. Blue electricity shocked the trio, causing them all to squeal in pain.

"That was Discharge!" Cilan pointed out. Annoyed by the sudden attack, the trio shot their attacks again, as everyone attempted to dodge. Takeru on the other hand moved fast, at the same speed as a race car. He zipped around the attacks, evading them all as he smirked. "Too slow. Is that really all you've got?" Takeru asked with a smirk.

The Ducklett didn't get annoyed this time, but they laughed instead, laughing at the others for barely dodging their attacks. "What's wrong with you guys!?" Iris snapped angrily. "Ax!" Axew agreed, annoyed. Cilan sighed, feeling disappointed with the three. "Such behavior is hard to understand!" Cilan reminded.

Deino, on the other hand was pissed. He was pissed for being hungry, pissed for being teased and attacked, and now he was pissed for being tortured around by the annoying Duckletts. He took matter in his own hands by blasting the three with Incinerate, burning them all. "Whoa! Incinerate!" Iris replied in surprise as Deino slammed into the middle Ducklett.

"That was Headbutt!" Cilan pointed out. Riolu and Pikachu were ready too, as both starters were ready to launch their attacks. Takeru quickly appeared next to Ash's side, startling the Kanto trainer with the high speed until the Nuvema boy turned to him. "Ready to launch the final blows?" Takeru asked. "Yeah! Let's do it together!" Ash agreed.

"You up for it?" Ash asked his Electric Type, which Pikachu confirmed with a nod and a look of determination. "What do you say, Riolu?" Takeru asked._ "I'm ready to roll, brother!"_ Riolu replied with a salut and a grin. At the confirmation, the two boys called their attacks together in unison, with the two starters facing against the Ducklett trio.

"Pikachu! Use Thunderbolt!" "Riolu! Use Force Palm!" Ash and Takeru called together. At the double order, both Pikachu and Riolu launched and unleashed their attacks. The combined forces of Force Palm and Thunderbolt collided and blasted the Ducklett trio away as they were once again sent flying into the air!

They all recovered and flew away, escaping from their enemies, defeated. Once they were gone, Sandile used this chance to retrieve his glasses and put it back into his eyes. "Sandile!" Sandile said happily, as Pikachu happily complimented Sandile for helping them with the situation. Deino, on the other hand, munched on his berries, overjoyed to finally have his lunch back.

Riolu watched with a smile on his face, seeing how much of an appetite Deino had. "I'm starting to understand now... They took Sandile's sunglasses and Deino's berries from them!" Iris realized, as she saw how both Dark Types were overjoyed to have their things back now. Scraggy then walked over, taking Ash's hat, before giving it back to his trainer.

"Thanks, Scraggy! That's great!" Ash thanked, as the Fighting-Dark Type nodded with a small content look on his face. The Kanto trainer placed his hat back on his head, feeling comfortable now. "Alright!" Ash replied, as Cilan picked up his dish pan dome. "Oh, joy! My lovely serving dome is safe and sound!" Cilan sighed in relief.

"Osha Osha Oshawott!" Oshawott replied, feeling happy for the Connoisseur. Just then, Takeru began to glow once more, startling the others once again.

"What now!?" Ash yelped as the glow quickly stopped. Everyone looked to see that the Nuvema boy was back to normal, his yellow bangs replacing his white bangs, his eyes both turning back to dark brown, and his clothes, fingerless gloves, and wristbands all returning to normal, but his necklace remained the same, with the chain and the three Tao symbols staying.

"I guess **Tao Form** has its limits too- UGH!" Takeru started, before he grunted in pain, as he fell to his knees. _"Big bro!? Are you okay!?"_ "En? En!?" Riolu and Zorua asked together as they both ran for the Nuvema boy. Deino also looked at Takeru in concern, until the Nuvema boy smiled in reassurance.

"I'm fine... I'm just going to have to get used to **Tao Form** and the side effects when I need it more often..." Takeru explained. "That's saying you overdid it in your first try, right? Don't push yourself so much like that!" Iris scolded, with the Nuvema boy nervously laughing. "Yeah... I'll remember that." Takeru agreed as he stood back up.

At the problems solved, the four trainers all began to head back to town, with Sandile and Deino following along. They didn't notice a boy behind the trees, as he had saw the whole thing. "So that whole thing was **Tao Form**, huh... Amazing... Looks like I found one of the greatest discoveries, huh... What do you think, Ryuu? Chikage?" The boy asked.

"Rio... Riolu..." Ryuu confirmed with a nod and a determined look on his face. "En..." Chikage agreed as well.

**Meanwhile, back at the** **Pokémon Center...**

"Thanks for waiting! Here are your Pokémon! And all of them are in perfect health!" Nurse Joy called. She and Audino arrived, with Pikachu, Riolu, Deino, and Sandile all recovered from the previous scuffle. "Awesome! Thanks a lot, Nurse Joy!" Ash thanked, as the nurse sighed with a smile, knowing what occurred with the group and the Pokémon.

"Those three mischievous Ducklett are well known around here. They always cause trouble!" Nurse Joy explained, with Takeru agreeing. "I agree with that." Takeru agreed, with the Kanto trainer smiling. "Yeah, but thanks to them, Pikachu was able to learn a brand new move! Right, buddy?" Ash asked, with Pikachu agreeing. "Pikachu!" Pikachu agreed.

**Later...**

Iris grew confused as she looked both sides to see Ash, Takeru, Riolu, and Pikachu facing off against Deino and Sandile. "I still can't get over Sandile... We know that Deino wants to join Takeru, but only if he and Riolu defeats it!" Iris reminded, with Cilan agreeing. "Neither can I! Following us all the way here, just to battle Pikachu!" Cilan replied.

"Amazing..." Iris replied, amazed on how far Sandile followed them from the hot sand spa. "Oh yeah... And now Pikachu's Electro Ball won't have any effect on Sandile because it's a Ground Type! Isn't Pikachu at a disadvantage?" Iris asked, as the Connoisseur smiled.

"We'll just see! I think Ash is aware of that! I'm looking forward to see what sort of ingredients Ash and Takeru has for this battle! It should be delicious!" Cilan explained. With that said, both Iris and Cilann watched as the two battles were about to begin. "Alright! Let's start, Sandile!" Ash called. "Pika!" Pikachu called along.

"Sandile!" Sandile growled with a smirk. "I believe our battle has to start too, Deino." Takeru added along. _"Just beware that we're not going to hold back!"_ Riolu added along. "Dei! Deino Dei!" Deino agreed with a smirk on his face.

**Sandile: VS Ash: Pikachu**

**Deino VS Takeru: Riolu**

Pikachu started his battle by charging towards Sandile, as the Desert Croc Pokémon used Stone Edge! The Rock Type attack hit Pikachu directly, knocking him away. "Pika!" Pikachu yelped in pain as he skidded on the ground. Riolu braced himself as Deino blasted an Incinerate attack at Riolu, which Takeru began to counter at.

"Dodge that with Dig, Riolu!" Takeru called. The Emanation Pokémon dug underground, preparing a surprise attack as Deino backed away in surprise. Pikachu on the other hand glared at Sandile as Ash grew concerned. "Now, Pikachu! Counter with Quick Attack!" Ash called. At the call, Quick Attack was done as Sandile was knocked away by the speedy attack!

Sandile yelped in surprise, while Deino was sent flying into the air by the surprise Dig attack. "DEI!" Deino screamed as he fell to the ground, before he recovered, getting up. "Quite persistent, are you? Riolu, use Blaze Kick!" Takeru called. The little Fighting Type shot into the air and aimed to kick Deino with his fiery foot, until Deino used Bite, biting his foot!

_"Huh!? What the... AHH!"_ Riolu shrieked as he was flailed around like a toy before he was sent flying into the air. "Riolu! Stay strong! Use Force Palm!" Takeru called. Regaining balance in the air, the Emanation Pokémon dove down, smashing Deino to the ground with a powerful Force Palm attack, much to the Irate Pokémon's surprise.

"Well! It looks like Ash's strategy is to avoid using Electric Type moves completely! And for Takeru, countering an attack from the air and diving down with a critical hit must be a part of his strategy!" Cilan pointed out with a smile. "Go for it, Pikachu! Riolu!" "Axew ew!" Iris and Axew cheered, cheering for the two boys and their starters.

Deino groaned as he recovered, before getting up. "Now, Riolu! ThunderPunch, let's go!" Takeru shouted. Electricity formed around Riolu's fist as he charged to make contact to Deino, only for his move to stop! _"GAH-*"_ Riolu started, until he lost his breath. Deino countered his ThunderPunch by using Headbutt to his stomach! "What!?" Takeru snapped in shock.

"Now, use Iron Tail!" Ash called. Pikachu's tail glowed with steel as he started to attack, only for Sandile to dig underground, causing the attack to fail. "Sandile used Dig! No telling on where it's gonna come out! Careful, Pikachu!" Ash called. "Pika..." Pikachu replied as he looked around carefully, only for him to feel the attack from below!

"PIKA!" Pikachu screamed in pain as he was slammed to the ground, while Sandile quickly used Dig again, causing the search to happen again! "Sandile used Dig again!" Ash gasped. The Electric Type narrowed his eyes before looking around until he was slammed into the air again by Dig! "Pikachu, no!" Ash gasped, seeing that the super effective move did its work.

"Let's try this again! Riolu, use Force Palm again!" Takeru called. The Emanation Pokémon rapidly ran towards Deino, only for the Irate Pokémon to blast Riolu away with a Dragon Rage attack in perfect timing! "No! Not again!" Takeru cried in disbelief, as Riolu struggled to face his blind opponent. Iris winced, seeing two direct attacks in a row.

"Whoa... Those two look like they're hurt!" Iris replied in dismay. "By adding Dig as its main ingredient to its recipe, Sandile has Pikachu in real trouble! And as for Deino, using Headbutt to take Riolu's breath away, and using Dragon Rage to block Force Palm, Deino has Riolu cornered by its crafty ingredients and attacks!" Cilan pointed out with a frown.

Sandile smirked, seeing his victory much assured since he has the type advantage, as well since he dealt major damage to his Electric Type rival. Deino, on the other hand waited for his opponent to rise. Unlike Sandile, Deino seemed merciful, as it allows its opponent to get up and fight rather than kicking its enemy down when they're already down.

"Come on, Pikachu! You've got to get up!" Ash pleaded, as he tried to encourage his Electric Type to move. "Riolu, please get up! You know that this isn't over!" Takeru pleaded along. Just then, the Tao Symbol necklace began to glow, with blue energy streams all pouring inside Riolu's body! Takeru widened his eyes in surprise as Riolu began to glow with blue aura around him.

_"Who said that... I thought that this was over, big bro?"_ Riolu teased with a weak grin on his face. The Nuvema boy let out a sigh of relief, as well as a smile on his face, seeing that his little Pokémon brother was alright. But just then, before both battles could continue, Sandile began to glow, catching everyone's attention.

"Whoa! What's with that light!?" Iris asked in amazement. "Sandile... He's evolving!" Takeru answered with a frown on his face. The Nuvema boy was right as the evolution process was complete, revealing a new Pokémon in Sandile's place! "Krokorok!" The evolved Pokémon cried with folded arms. Ash widened his eyes, before he took out his Pokédex.

_"Krokorok, the Desert Croc Pokémon, and the evolved form of Sandile. The special membrane that covers Krokorok's eyes detects heat, which allows it to see in the dark."_ Ash's Pokédex buzzed. As the Pokédex finished, Krokorok summoned more stones, all aiming to strike Pikachu! "Krokorok is using Stone Edge!" Cilan pointed out.

"Hope Pikachu doesn't get hit!" Iris replied, as the Kanto trainer countered with Pikachu's new move. "Pikachu, use Electro Ball!" Ash called. At the call, the Electric Type launched his new move, much to Iris' surprise. "Ash knows that Electric Type moves won't do a thing!" Iris reminded, until she saw what the move really did.

The Stone Edge that was launched was all deflected by Electro Ball! Krokorok took the hit, much to his surprise, as the nature girl was surprised, too. "Electro Ball deflected the Stone Edge!" Iris gasped in shock and amazement. An explosion occurred as Krokorok was hit, as he was sent flying into the air!

Krokorok screamed his name as he disappeared into the sky and out of sight, finishing the battle with a draw since neither side fainted. "Whoa... Sayonara, Krokorok?" Takeru replied with a sweat drop. Suddenly, an impatient growl caught his attention as Deino stomped his right front foot in annoyance, as the Nuvema boy wasn't paying attention to their battle together.

**DRAW**

"Alright, alright... let's continue! Riolu! Use Force Palm!" Takeru called. But just then, instead of using Force Palm, Riolu started to create a blue ball of light, shocking everyone in the process. "What is that!?" Iris asked in surprise. Out of all, the Nuvema boy was amazed and speechless, until he snapped back into reality with the answer.

"This is... Aura Sphere... Riolu learned Aura Sphere..." Takeru answered with disbelief. _"Wow... So, this is Aura Sphere!? I always wanted to master this kind of move!"_ Riolu cried out in amazement, until he noticed Deino, who was amazed at the new move, too. _"Anyways, take... THIS!"_ Riolu grunted as he threw the Aura Sphere at Deino.

The move exploded onto Deino, causing it to scream in pain, while dealing a lot of damage at the same time. Everyone watched in amazement as the smoke cleared to show that Deino has fainted from the power of Aura Sphere. Ash, shaking his head, turned to Takeru, who was still shocked at the impossible move that Riolu had done.

**Winner: Takeru**

"Takeru, this is your chance! You can catch it now!" Ash called. At the call, the Nuvema boy shook his head, before he took out an empty Pokéball as he threw it towards the unconscious Deino. "Alright then, let's go! Pokéball!" Takeru called as he threw the ball at Deino. The ball opened as it hit, sucking the Irate Pokémon inside.

Everyone watched as the Pokéball shook several times before clicking, showing that Deino was caught! The Nuvema boy ran over and held his Pokéball in the air with a triumphant look on his face. "Alright, we caught Deino! A new member in our team!" Takeru called._ "Alright!"_ Riolu cheered as the capture of Deino was a success.

Just then, the Pokéball grew smaller, with the button being red. "Seventh member..." Takeru whispered, as he knew he had to switch one of his Pokémon to Prof. Juniper to let Deino stay in his team. With the battle being over, Iris and Cilan ran over to the two boys, as they were amazed on what attacks they had just witnessed once again.

"Pikachu's Electro Ball and Riolu's Aura Sphere was totally amazing!" Iris complimented happily. "Right! And although the battle ended in a draw for Pikachu's side, I can say that Pikachu has found a great rival!" Cilan added, with Ash agreeing with a nod. "We're gonna have another battle when we run into Krokorok! And next time, we'll win it!" Ash assured.

"Pika Pika!" Pikachu agreed. Takeru, on the other hand, was still puzzled at what just occurred today. First, he discovered that his necklace represented his connection with Zekrom in his dreams. Secondly, he was able to access to the powers Zekrom gave him, which was **Tao Form**. Thirdly, Riolu was able to use Aura Sphere despite of him being in his current form.

_"Big bro? Are you okay?"_ Riolu asked, as he waved a paw to Takeru's face, causing the Nuvema boy to blink in surprise and smile. "I'm fine, Riolu. I'm just... tired of what happened today." Takeru lied with a weak smile on his face. Riolu blinked, before he reluctantly accepted the reason with a nod as the four trainers headed back to the Center.

_"One thing's for sure, I think I'll need **Tao Form** more than ever, now that I discovered my link with Zekrom and the secret to the necklace my Dad gave me..."_ Takeru thought as he took another look at his Tao Symbol necklace. "_Dad... What have you been up to? Did you... Did you knew about the Tao Form? About my connection with Zekrom? Is that why you're missing?"_ Takeru asked as he gripped his necklace tightly.

To be continued...

**Takeru's Team:**

**Riolu: (M): (Aura Sphere, Blaze Kick, ThunderPunch, Dig)**

**Deino: (M): (Dragon Rage, Headbutt, Bite, Incinerate****)**

**Tranquill: (M): (Air Cutter, Gust, Aerial Ace, Roost)**

**Tepig: (M): (Flamethrower, Smog, Flame Charge, Rollout)**

**Zorua: (F): (Scratch, Leer, Pursuit, ?)**

**Petilil: (F): (Magical Leaf, Sleep Powder, Stun Spore, Mega Drain)**

With Prof. Juniper:

**Joltik: (M): (Electro Ball, Signal Beam, String Shot, Electroweb)**

Next chapters:

**Chapter 41: The Past!? Or is it Memories!?**

**Chapter 42: The Memory World of Gothitelle!**

**Chapter 43: The Invasion of the Venipede!**

**Chapter 44: Settle Down Venipede! Case Closed!?**

**Chapter 45: Team Rocket VS Team Plasma! Pt. 1**

**Next chapter preview:**

Cilan: It looks like that all we have to do is to cross that bridge that leads to Castelia City!

Ash: A Gothitelle!? Why are you attacking us!? And why won't you let us cross the Skyarrow Bridge!?

Takeru: Is this... Gothitelle's past? The bridge looks unfinished... And Gothitelle is smiling with that girl there!

Iris: I'm getting a creepy feeling about this... Did we actually time travel back to the past?

Ash: What is this!? That taxi boat got us back to where we started!

Takeru: This is kind of twisted... Are we in some sort of an infinite time loop, where we're in the past?


	41. The Past? Or is it Memories?

**Chapter 41: The Past!? Or is it Memories!?**

The gloved hand crackled as Takeru clenched his left hand into a fist. As he did so, a small amount of electricity sparked out, startling him for a moment as he looked at his right hand. It grew warm before a small amount of electricity appeared until it died away after a second it appeared. "**Tao Form**... A power used to support my friends and to protect myself..." Takeru whispered.

He remembered the last time that he awakened **Tao Form**, which was when he faced against the Ducklett trio. And at that same day, Riolu for some reason was able to learn Aura Sphere, to everyone's surprise. He searched it up last night in the Pokémon Center's computer in order to find some answers about a Riolu being able to use Aura Sphere in its current form.

Unfortunately, he didn't find anything, except for an info about a certain kingdom called the Lucario Kingdom. He even searched about **Tao Form**, and about Zekrom, Reshiram, and Kyurem. **Tao Form** was nowhere to be found in the computer, but he managed to find information and details about the three legendary dragons, which they are also known as the Tao Trio.

There was nothing specific however, about the Tao Trio creating power that is related to **Tao Form**. All the facts and thoughts crowded around the Nuvema boy's head and mind as he face palmed, not feeling so good at the moment. "There's a rather, large bridge up ahead!" Cilan explained, much to Ash's interest as he took a peek. "Large, huh?" Ash repeated in amazement.

"It is! Actually, it's the biggest bridge of the Unova region! It's called, the Skyarrow Bridge!" Cilan explained, as the nature girl started to get excited about the bridge's view point. "I'll bet the view from the top of it looks incredible!" Iris exclaimed, as Axew agreed with a nod and an eager smile on his face. Cilan nodded as he made another reminder.

"And once we cross over it, we're in Castelia City!" Cilan pointed out, with the Kanto trainer being excited. "Then, let's get across that thing right away!" Ash cried out. "Pikachu!" Pikachu agreed. _"I'm ready to roll!"_ Riolu barked happily, as he glanced to see his human brother not smiling or responding to the cross the bridge part. _"Brother? Are you okay?"_ Riolu asked.

Ash, Iris, and Cilan all turned to see their friend looking dazed, while frowning at the same time as Ash tried to get his attention. "Um, Takeru? Are you still with us?" Ash asked, catching the Nuvema boy's attention. "H-Huh? Sorry... Was I daydreaming?" Takeru asked, as Cilan folded his arms with a frown and confirmation. "You sure were! Is something wrong?" Cilan asked.

"No... Nothing's wrong. I was just thinking about my new power, **Tao Form**..." Takeru explained as he kept walking with the others. Iris blinked, before realizing what her friend could mean. "Oh yeah... You were talking about mastering the form so you wouldn't get exhausted after returning to normal!" Iris agreed, as the Nuvema boy sighed.

"Mastering it may be hard, since I barely know anything about this new form. All I know, is that it gives me the power to use electricity... and to create barriers as well. I can move faster like a race car, but I get really exhausted when the form wears off for a while..." Takeru explained, recalling when he used his powers for the first time yesterday.

Ash smiled, as he attempted to encourage his Unova friend to push through his obstacles. "No need to worry! All you have to do, is focus on mastering it and discover what else** Tao Form** has! Then, once you've done that, poof! You've mastered the **Tao Form**!" Ash assured, causing Iris to sweat drop. "What a kid... Something like that isn't easy to master, you know..." Iris grumbled.

"Come on... I was just trying to make it sound easier..." Ash complained, frowning at Iris' disapproval of his comments and encouragement. "Heh... No, it's fine. I think I know what you mean, Ash... You're right. I should focus on mastering **Tao Form**... And once that's done, maybe I'll get used to it." Takeru agreed as he walked past his friends.

As he walked ahead, he frowned. _"But I wonder if Dad knows something about this... Dad... If you were only here, maybe you could give me some hints, or at least a few answers that I need in order to solve a difficult puzzle like this..."_ Takeru thought as his fists clenched with determination, causing a spark and a spark of flame to blink on and off.

**(Pokémon BW Opening (Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V Opening 4 Lyrics) (****English Subbed))**

(Many Pokéballs pass by, coming from the bright light)

**_Now is the time, hold up your trump card._**

**_ This future is yours to take!_**

(Takeru catches one of them and summons his Pokémon)

(The Best Wishes opening title shows with Takeru, Ash, Iris, and Cilan's four faces showing)

**_Burging brightly. _**

**_Like you're still watching an unending dream_**

(Takeru walks on a path at night with a serious expression on his face, with Riolu at his side)

**_Your body yearns for it. _**

**_A place where those who are strong are._**

(Ash stands at a battlefield, with Pikachu on his shoulder, as they prepare to face their opponent)

**_Shaky, wavering. _**

**_What you're looking for it nowhere to be found._**

(Cilan and Pansage are preparing supper, until they see a shooting star up on the evening sky)

**_But you're still seeking it._**

**_A place overwhelming with power._**

(Iris and Axew watches the forest on a high branch of a giant tree)

_**The next battle is waiting for me.**_

(Team Rocket and Team Plasma stand in opposition, ready to fight)

(Jessie, James, and Meowth stand above the Team Rocket organization)

(Aldith and Barrett stand above the Team Plasma organization)

(Giovanni and Ghetsis stand big and tall as each organization's leader)

**_I can hear the sign of new days coming._**

(A hooded boy turns, offering a hand, with his silhouetted Pokémon behind him)

(Takeru, Iris, Ash, Cilan, Nate, Rosa, and Hugh prepares to fight against their enemies)

(Riolu, Axew, Pikachu, Pansage, Pignite, Servine, and Dewott stands behind their trainers)

**_Now is the time, hold up your trump card. _**

**_This future is yours to take!_**

(Takeru summons all seven of his Pokémon; Riolu, Tranquill, Pignite, Joltik, Deino, Zorua, and Petilil)

(Ash summons his Pokémon; Pikachu, Snivy, Tepig, Oshawott, Tranquill, Swadloon, and Scraggy)

**Whether your smile can shake this world is all up to you.**

(Iris summons her Pokémon; Axew, Emolga and Excadrill)

(Cilan summons his Pokémon; Pansage, Dwebble, and Stunfisk)

**_Write a new chapter in this story._**

**_After all, aren't you the hero?_**

(Zekrom and Reshiram roars together in opposition)

(Takeru and Zekrom merges together, making Takeru a different person)

(Takeru, Ash, Cilan, and Iris all stand together with all their current Pokémon)

**(Opening ends)**

"Rather large, it's giant!" Ash commented, as the four trainers got closer to the Skyarrow Bridge. While Iris was in awe, Cilan gave a reminder to his three friends about the other side. "And you know on what's the other side!" Cilan reminded, which the Nuvema boy answered on. "Castelia City, which is our next destination after this bridge." Takeru answered.

Just then, Ash noticed a PokéMart, which gave the Kanto trainer an idea. "Ah! Check it out! I'm gonna call Prof. Juniper!" Ash called, as he ran ahead of the others, as Takeru sighed, before he remembered something. "Hold up, Ash! I need to give her a call, too!" Takeru called as he ran after his Kanto friend._ "Wait for me, big bro!"_ Riolu barked.

As the boys were approaching the mart, a young woman came out from behind as she looked at the Skyatrow Bridge with a small smile on her face. "I just can't believe how much the area has changed!" The woman commented as she continued to walk, as she looked like she was headed to the PokéMart as well, causing her to nearly run into Ash.

"Come on, Takeru! Hurry!" "Pika!" Ash and Pikachu called together, both urging the Nuvema boy and the Emanation Pokémon to hurry up. But as Ash turned, he yelped to see that he nearly bumped into a woman, causing him to nervously laugh and apologize. "Oh! Uh... Sorry about that..." Ash apologized, causing the woman to smile back with a chuckle.

"What happened?" Takeru asked, as the Kanto trainer let the woman go in first. "Well, after you!" Ash replied, as the woman smiled again with thanks. "Why, thank you very much!" The woman thanked as she headed inside the PokéMart. Takeru and Riolu both watched as the woman headed inside, much to their confusion, as Takeru turned to his Kanto friend.

"What just happened here? Care to explain?" Takeru asked, causing the Kanto trainer to nervously laugh. By that time, Iris and Cilan had caught up the two boys, with Iris scolding the Kanto trainer. "Ash! You're still such a little-" Iris started, only for her to earn another glare from the Nuvema boy, causing her to stop her words as she sighed.

"You really should try to calm down!" Cilan reminded, as Ash agreed. "Hey, I'm excited! Anyways, I'm calling Prof. Juniper!" Ash called as the four headed inside the PokéMart, where the Kanto trainer the Nuvema boy called the Unova Professor. As she picked up, Ash explained on how he caught Sewaddle during his time at the Pinwheel Forest.

"Hey! I just caught a Sewaddle! Isn't that cool, Professor?" Ash asked, as the Unova Professor smiled. "That's great! Okay, Ash! I got all the data from the Pidove you sent me! So, if I send it back to you, could you send me your Sewaddle?" Prof. Juniper requested, earning an agreement from the Kanto trainer. "Sure!" Ash agreed.

"Thanks a lot, Ash! Can't wait for your next catch and Takeru's, too!" Prof. Juniper giggled as she prepared Pidove's Pokeball for the exchange. Ash then placed Sewaddle's Pokéball for the exchange to begin. As the Pokéball disappeared from the exchange machine, Pidove's Pokéball appeared, while the Professor had Sewaddle's.

"Pidove, welcome back!" Ash replied as he put the Pokéball back on his belt, as Takeru stepped up. "It's good to see you again, Professor." Takeru replied, with the Unova Professor smiling back in agreement. "It's nice to see you too, Takeru! Have you come to get Joltik back for another Pokémon?" Prof. Juniper asked, as the Nuvema boy sadly smiled.

He shook his head in response. "No, Professor. I just wanted to ask you if you knew anything about my Dad." Takeru answered, earning a surprised blink from the Unova Professor. "You mean, Hibiki Yamada? All I know is, Takeru... is that your father researched about the legendary dragons, Zekrom, Kyurem, and Reshiram." Prof. Juniper explained.

Ash, Iris, and Cilan listened as well as the Professor continued. "Hibiki... Your father was determined to learn the secrets about the three legendary dragons and about their secret powers... Why do you ask, Takeru?" Prof. Juniper asked, as the Nuvema boy frowned as he made his answer. "Because... I discovered something about myself." Takeru answered.

Ash widened his eyes, knowing what Takeru was about to say as the Unova Professor was confused. "What do you mean by that, Takeru?" Prof. Juniper asked, as the Nuvema boy tried to explain, only for stuttering to come out. "Well... You see... I... I discovered something... about the necklace... that my Dad gave me..." Takeru answered nervously.

"Your necklace? What about it?" Prof. Juniper asked. "This necklace... I think it's somehow connected to Zekrom... It also gave me some powers that shocked me and the others, too." Takeru explained as he held his Tao Necklace. "Zekrom!? And you were talking about powers? What powers are you talking about, Takeru?" Prof. Juniper asked.

"You see... There is this power called, the **Tao Form**, Professor... This necklace, or I should say, Zekrom gave me this power, so that I could protect the ones that are precious to me... But, to be quite honest... I'm not really sure hat it really is meant for. So, I thought you would know of it by any chance." Takeru explained, as the Professor was really shocked at this.

"**Tao Form**?! I... I believe I may know something of it..." Prof. Juniper said in shock, catching the group's attention, as well as their Pokémon. "Really!? You actually know something about this, Professor!?" Iris shrieked in amazement as the Unova Professor cleared his throat, before saying her beliefs. "I only heard a little margin of it, but that's it." Prof. Juniper reminded as Takeru shook his head.

"Any information is fine, Professor. Just please, tell us." Takeru requested as the Unova Professor continued on. "Alright then. What I know a little about **Tao Form**, is that they are powers that's given to the three chosen ones so that they could protect the Unova region. They are given by the three legendary dragons of the Unova region." Prof. Juniper started as Ash blinked.

"Three legendary dragons? Do you mean..." Ash started as the Nuvema boy confirmed it with a frown. "Zekrom... Reshiram... and Kyurem, right?" Takeru asked as the Unova Professor nodded in confirmation. "Yes. In the legend of the legendary dragons, there were two brothers and a sister, all wishing to protect the Unova region with the power of the Tao trio." Prof. Juniper explained.

"Two brothers... and a sister?" Takeru repeated dryly as the Professor continued on. "Each sibling needed to have proof and needed to be worthy enough to gain control of the powers that were given to them. Zekrom gives off his **Black Tao Form**. Reshiram gives his **White Tao Form**... and Kyurem gives his **Gray Tao Form**..." Prof. Juniper explained, feeling serious with the legend.

"So, what are the proofs you need in order to gain those powers, Professor?" Cilan asked, also feeling curious about this. The Unova Professor sighed at this, telling the group the disappointing news. "That's the thing. I'm afraid I don't know about these proofs and requirements you need in order to prove worthy of gaining control of **Tao Form**." Prof. Juniper explained sadly.

"But... Since I was using **Tao Form** the first time, wouldn't that make me one of those worthy siblings? I have the **Black Tao Form**, the power that Zekrom gave me..." Takeru explained as the Unova Professor agreed. "Yes, if you say that you achieved **Tao Form** from Zekrom, then I believe you are one of the three to have obtained the three **Tao Forms**." Prof. Juniper explained.

"Is there anything else you can tell us, Professor?" Ash asked as the Unova Professor sadly smiled. "I'm afraid that's all I know for now. I have to go now." Prof. Juniper explained as the Nuvema boy understood with a nod. "Alright, Professor..." Takeru replied as the Unova Professor said her farewell to the group. "Alright then. I'll see you all again!" Prof. Juniper said before Takeru cut the call.

With that, the conversation about **Tao Form** was over. With the silence being awkward, the four started to leave until Ash noticed someone familiar. "Hey, look!" Ash called, catching the others' attention. They all turned to see the same woman that Ash had nearly bumped into earlier! "It's the woman I almost ran into!" Ash pointed out as he walked over to her.

Takeru, Iris, and Cilan followed as the four noticed the picture frames hanged up on the wall. It seemed to be the pictures of the Skyarrow Bridge, but before it was built. There were lots of pictures of a small boat, which seemed to be a taxi boat of some sort. "Those are from before the bridge was built!" Cilan pointed out as Iris noticed the taxi boat in the pictures.

"There was a boat back then!" Iris piped up as the woman smiled at the pictures. "They called it a Water Taxi. It regularly made runs across the river!" The woman explained, amazing the Kanto trainer. "Wow! That's amazing! Do you live around here?" Iris asked as the woman blinked, before giggling. "Hm? Oh no, well... Not exactly. Goodbye!" The woman called as she left the mart.

At seeing her leave, Takeru sighed, making the decision. "Why don't we go, too? The Skyarrow Bridge isn't too far from here." Takeru suggested as the others agreed. "Right!" Iris and Cilan agreed, with Axew agreeing as well. But, as soon as they left the mart, fog surrounded the group, covering the Skyarrow Bridge, much to their surprise.

"Huh? What's up with this fog all of a sudden?" Ash asked as Takeru frowned. "It rolled in quick!" Iris pointed out as Castelia City on the other side seemed to be covered with fog. Just then, a police motorcycle drove up, stopping behind the group as the officer sighed. "So, the fog's come up again?" Officer Jenny grunted as she got off of her motorcycle. "Officer Jenny! Hi!" Ash called.

"Hi! See, this area is well known for its fog and has been for a long time!" Officer Jenny explained as she took out a Pokéball. "Now, just a minute! Alright, Swanna! Let's go!" Officer Jenny called as she summoned a Flying Type Pokémon. While Ash was amazed, Cilan knew what came out! "It's a Swanna!" Cilan pointed out, as Ash took out his Pokédex, scanning it.

"Swanna, huh...?" Ash repeated as the device scanned the Water-Flying Type. _"Swanna, the White Bird Pokémon, and the evolved form of Ducklett. Because of its long, powerful neck, Swanna can deliver forceful attacks with its beak!"_ Ash's Pokédex buzzed. "Now! Swanna, Defog! Let's go!" Officer Jenny called. At the order, Swanna blew powerful winds at the fog to drive it away.

However, for a strange reason, even with the powerful Defog attack, the fog remained as it is, as if nothing had happened to it! "H-Huh? That's strange..." Officer Jenny started, until a car drove by. "Ah! NO! Cars are not supposed to pass through when it's foggy! Stop! STOP!" Officer Jenny snapped as she tried to run after the car, with Swanna following behind her.

The group nervously laughed at the officer's failure to catch the car as they looked back at the now foggy Skyarrow Bridge. "So now what?" Cilan asked as the Kanto trainer immediately made up the decision. "We know Castelia City is just on the other side! We can't just stop and do nothing!" Ash decided, with Iris agreeing with him. "Guess you're right!" Iris agreed.

Takeru on the other hand, looked back at the foggy bridge. He blinked, before noticing a small shadow at the top of the bridge, causing him to squint his eyes to see what it was. As he tried to look closer, the shadow vanished, causing him to blink in confusion. "What... was that?" Takeru asked, until Riolu pulled on his jacket sleeve. _"Hey? Big bro!"_ Riolu barked, calling for his human brother.

The Nuvema boy blinked, before looking down at his Emanation Pokémon. "Hm? Something wrong, Riolu?" Takeru asked as Riolu frowned._ "Well, you looked at the bridge for a moment, so I thought something was wrong with you."_ Riolu explained as the Nuvema boy smiled in assurance. "No, nothing's wrong, Riolu. I thought I saw something on the bridge, but... I think I imagined it." Takeru explained.

_"Oh... I see..."_ Riolu replied until both Ash and Pikachu called for them. "HEY! Takeru! Riolu! What's keeping you guys!?" Ash called, catching the Nuvema duo's attention. "We're coming!" Takeru called as he and Riolu ran after their friends, as they joined them on crossing the Skyarrow Bridge.

Later, as they started crossing it, the fog started getting thicker and it became harder to see. "The fog just keeps getting thicker and thicker!" Iris pointed out as she frowned at not being able to see things so easily now. "I can't see anything!" Ash replied as Cilan seemed to be feel the same. "Neither can I!" Cilan added as the Nuvema boy narrowed his eyes.

"I feel like something is off here..." Takeru replied, causing the Kanto trainer to turn to his friend. "What do you mean?" Ash asked as the Nuvema boy answered, while shaking a little. "I just... feel like, something is about to attack us or something..." Takeru answered, until something shot out from the top of the bridge! Everyone gasped as an attack missed them by a feet.

"Whoa! What was that!?" Iris gasped in shock. "That was Psybeam!" Cilan pointed out as the Nuvema boy looked up. "I guess my feelings about an attack was right after all!" Takeru grunted in annoyance. Ash looked up as well, noticing something at the top. "Where did it come from!?" Ash yelped as a shadow revealed itself... as a Pokémon!

It seemed to be glaring at the group, warning them not to cross. "Gothi... Gothitelle..." The Pokémon hissed as the Connoisseur widened his eyes in surprise. "It's a Gothitelle!" Cilan pointed out. "A Gothitelle!?" Ash repeated in surprise. The Nuvema boy took out his Pokédex, scanning the evolved Psychic Type.

_"Gothitelle, the Astral Body Pokémon. Gothitelle's Psychic power is so great that it is said to warp space around it, and distort reality in the process."_ Takeru's Pokédex buzzed. "But, why would Gothitelle attack us!?" Ash snapped in annoyance, seeing that the Astral Body Pokémon was blocking their way to the other side of the Skyarrow Bridge.

At his question, Gothitelle lowered itself down, before facing the four trainers and making a sign for them to turn back with an angry look on its face. "Come on! We just want to cross the bridge!" Ash snapped, trying to reason with the Psychic Type. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu agreed. "GOTH!" Gothitelle shrieked before it shot another Psybeam attack at the group! "Get down!" Takeru yelled.

But, before the group could dodge the attack, a Flamethrower came out of nowhere, intercepting the Psywave attack! Everyone gasped in surprise as they turned to see who was behind them. "Dar! Darmanitan!" A Darmanitan snapped, beating its chest with an annoyed look on its face. "Check it out! It's a Darmanitan!" Ash gasped, knowing the Fire Type Pokémon.

"But, why would it save us from Gothitelle's attack?" Iris asked in confusion, before Riolu widened his eyes, recognizing the Blazing Pokémon. _"Big bro! That Darmanitan... It's the same one that we helped at the clock tower from before!"_ Riolu barked happily, causing the Nuvema boy to widen his eyes in surprise. "From the clock tower...? You mean...!?" Takeru started.

His question was answered as the evolved Blazing Pokémon gave a friendly wink to the group as Takeru smiled, happy to see an old friend. "Everyone! It's him! The Darmanitan that we helped at the clock tower when we were heading for Nacrene City!" Takeru pointed out. Ash, Iris, Cilan, Pikachu, and Axew all widened their eyes to see that an old friend of theirs had followed them here!

"You're kidding!" Iris squealed in amazement. Before Cilan could talk, another Psywave shot between both him and Iris! Everyone turned to see Gothitelle still angry at the group as it began to warn them to turn away once more. "Gothitelle really doesn't want us to cross!" Cilan pointed out as Ash angrily took out a Pokéball, ready to fight. "Well then, I'll just have to change Gothitelle's mind!" Ash snapped.

Before he could call one of his Pokémon, Darmanitan leapt up, landing right in front of the group, much to their surprise. "Darmanitan!?" Ash yelped as the Nuvema boy smiled. "I think Darmanitan wants to help us with this situation! Right?" Takeru asked. "Dar! Darmanitan!" The Blazing Pokémon agreed with a nod as Takeru glanced back at his friends.

"Guys. Let me and Darmanitan handle this, okay?" Takeru called as the others reluctantly agreed to this. "O-Okay... But be careful!" Cilan warned. Takeru nodded back before he began to glow. "Here goes... **Tao Form Transformation**... GO!" Takeru yelled as his body glowed with bright light. Like before, he changed into his Tao Form, with his hair bangs, clothes, and his face changing a bit.

The black and white tattoos appeared under Takeru's eyes while his clothes became black and white mixed, with the fingerless gloves having the white dragon and the black dragon symbols on the back. The yellow bangs became white, while his left eye pupil became red. "There it is! It's Takeru's **Tao Form**!" Ash pointed out in amazement. "Pika!" Pikachu agreed.

Darmanitan blinked in amazement as well, before he glared back at the Astral Body Pokémon. "Alright... Darmanitan, mind if I command you in battle?" Takeru asked as Darmanitan nodded in confirmation. "Dar!" Darmanitan agreed. "Okay! Darmanitan, use Fire Punch!" Takeru called, punching his black gloved fist into the air. Darmanitan obeyed as he charged towards Gothitelle to attack!

But, the Fire Punch attack was blocked by a barrier as Gothitelle took no damage from the attack at all. "That was Protect!" Cilan pointed out. This time, the evolved Psychic Type shot another Psywave attack, with the Nuvema boy immediately countering it. "Quick, Darmanitan! Counter it with your Flamethrower attack!" Takeru called, calling another command to the Blazing Pokémon.

Once again, Darmanitan obeyed as he shot Flamethrower towards the Psywave, causing the two special attacks to collide! The two moves exploded, creating a bright light, surrounding the group, much to their surprise. "What the...? What is this!?" Takeru gasped. Ash, Iris, and Cilan all looked around in shock as well, with the Pokémon bewildered, too.

Then suddenly, the ground gave out, causing everyone to fall around the bright light! "AHHHHH!" Everyone screamed until the bright light disappeared, causing everyone to open their eyes and look around on where they were. Ash groaned as he stood up, feeling confused on what had just happened. "Anyone know what just happened?" Ash asked.

The others stood up, as well as Pikachu, Riolu, Axew, and Darmanitan as they began to think over what just happened. "The only thing I remember is being surrounded by some sort of strange light!" Iris answered as Takeru shook his head. He blinked at himself for a moment before he let out a small yelp. "Um, guys? I think I have a problem right here!" Takeru snapped.

The others turned and gasped to see their Nuvema friend still in **Tao Form**! "Takeru? You can turn **Tao Form** off now!" Cilan reminded as the Nuvema boy sweat dropped, before he tried to explain. "That's the thing... I can't go back to normal right now!" Takeru explained, causing the others to gasp. Just then, before anyone else could react, the Nuvema boy blinked, hearing a familiar voice.

_**"Takeru..."** _Zekrom's voice growled as the Nuvema boy closed his eyes, connecting his spirit to Zekrom's Dream World.

**Dream**

The Nuvema boy still in his **Tao Form** found himself in the dream space once more, as he noticed Zekrom right in front of him. "Zekrom... What... What happened to me?" Takeru asked as he shook a little. The legendary black dragon Pokémon started to explain as he reminded the Nuvema boy of what had occurred just now in reality, with Gothitelle.

_**"****Do you remember when you were still battling against Gothitelle with Darmanitan?"** _Zekrom asked, much to the Nuvema boy's surprise. "Um... Yeah... But, when both Darmanitan and Gothitelle's attack collided, a huge strange, bright light appeared out of nowhere, causing us to fall somehow..." Takeru explained nervously as he folded his arms in confusion.

"And... for some reason, I can't go back to normal for some reason..." Takeru added as Zekrom sighed. **_"I see... That must be because... you and your friends have time traveled..."_ **Zekrom answered, causing the Nuvema boy to widen his eyes. "T-Time travel? You mean like to the past and the future?!" Takeru yelped as the legendary black dragon Pokémon nodded in confirmation.

_**"Correct. There is one thing you should know about the power that I gave you... I'm aware that your Professor told you about the legend of me, Reshiram, and Kyurem giving the three Tao Forms to the three siblings, correct?"** _Zekrom asked as the Nuvema boy nodded. _**"There was one thing to be added..."** _Zekrom added, as Takeru frowned in confusion.

"And... what's that?" Takeru asked as Zekrom made his answer._** "When a chosen human in his or her Tao Form time travels either to the past or the future, that power remains onto the human until they return to the present. Simply put, since you activated your powers before you time traveled by Gothitelle... You cannot return to normal until you return to the present."** _Zekrom explained.

"Y-You mean to say... I'll remain in **Tao Form** forever unless me and the others head back to the past...? That's just..." Takeru stammered, as he paled. _**"Twisted? Yes... I believe that's what I would agree on..."** _Zekrom agreed. The Nuvema boy turned white as he groaned, slumping down as Zekrom could only watch as his human child mumbled under his breath before returning to reality.

**Reality**

"Hey... HEY! Hey, Takeru! You okay!?" Ash called. "Pika Pika?" Pikachu asked along. The Nuvema boy opened his eyes to see the Kanto trainer and his Electric Type partner looking at him in concern with Iris, Cilan, Riolu, Axew, and Darmanitan. "What... happened to me?" Takeru asked as Darmanitan and Riolu helped him up to his feet.

"You suddenly fell unconscious for some reason... Were you already exhausted by Tao Form?" Cilan asked as the Nuvema boy shook his head. "No... Zekrom... He talked to me again..." Takeru explained as he dusted himself off. He looked around, before noticing a familiar bridge up ahead, only for it to be unfinished. The others noticed it too as the Kanto trainer blinked in surprise.

"Check it out!" Ash pointed out. "There's a bridge being built!" Cilan pointed out, seeing the large bridge still unfinished. "Hey guys? Where are we anyway?" Ash asked as Takeru took a deep breath. He looked at his white and black gloved hands before he attempted to answer, only for a young voice to chime in! "Do you need a ride? We'll get you across with the Water Taxi!" A girl called out.

The group and their Pokémon glanced at the small pier down below, seeing a young girl in front of a boat that seemed to be a water taxi. "Come on! We're leaving real soon!" The girl cried out as Ash blinked. "Water Taxi..." Ash repeated, as Iris made a suggestion. "Should we go?" Iris asked, with the Striaton Gym Leader agreeing. "Well, I say yes! Maybe it'll give us more of an idea of what's going on!" Cilan agreed.

Takeru sighed, before he turned to the Blazing Pokémon, who looked confused to its surroundings, especially when he was at the Skyarrow Bridge a few minutes ago. "Hey, Darmanitan! You want to ride on a water taxi with us? You looked like you came a long way, following us like that." Takeru asked, catching the evolved Fire Type Pokémon's attention.

"Dar! Darmanitan!" Darmanitan smirked with a nod as Riolu translated. _"He says that he'll go, since he never rode on a water taxi before!"_ Riolu explained, as the Nuvema boy smiled. "Alright then! Let's go!" Takeru called. With that said, the group headed down to the water taxi pier and they all asked to ride on the boat. On that, the four trainers got tickets for the water taxi.

"Thank you very much! Gothitelle! We've got new customers! Show them around, please!" The young girl called. The four trainers widened their eyes in surprise as they noticed the Astral Body Pokémon cleaning the floors of the pier. "Gothitelle!" The evolved Psychic Type replied happily. At seeing Gothitelle, Darmanitan prepared to attack, only for Takeru and Riolu to stop him.

"Ah, no! Darmanitan, this Gothitelle could be different than the one we saw!" Takeru pleaded as Riolu hopped onto his head._ "Plus... If you attack now, you might hurt the girl and the water taxi!"_ Riolu barked along desperately, which seemed to have calmed the Blazing Pokémon down as he folded his arms in confusion. Iris frowned, seeing the Gothitelle's expression on its face.

"But... Is that the same Gothitelle?" Iris asked as the Connoisseur was confused, too. "Strange... That Gothitelle looks different, somehow..." Cilan stated, with Ash making another suggestion. "Well, I say, let's get on board!" Ash said as the four got onto the boat, with Riolu and Darmanitan getting on as well. As everyone got on, the girl turned to the Psychic Type with a reminder.

"Alright, Gothitelle! It's time!" The young girl called. "Gothitelle! Goth..." Gothitelle replied as it began to use Psychic to let the boat go free with all the passengers on board. "Hey! That's Psychic, wow!" "Pika!" Ash pointed out with Pikachu crying out in surprise. As the water taxi was ready to go, the young girl walked up to the captain's room, signaling a man that the taxi was ready.

"Captain! Preparations are complete!" The young girl called, causing the man to nod in confirmation. "Good!" The captain chuckled as he pressed on an intercom, telling the passengers about the good news. "Hi, folks! We're sorry to keep you waiting, but we're all set to cast off!" The captain announced as he turned on the engine of the water taxi.

Soon, the water taxi was being droven by, moving past the unfinished bridge. As the boat moved on, Takeru looked at himself, seeing that **Tao Form** hasn't worn off yet. "Don't I look weird, guys?** Tao Form** is still active..." Takeru whispered, causing Cilan and Iris to reassure to him with nervous smiles on their faces. "Just try to stay calm! I'm sure everything will be okay!" Iris assured.

"You'll just have to get used to yourself in that form with everyone around." Cilan added, causing the Nuvema boy to sweat drop and groan in annoyance. "Ugh..." Takeru groaned, feeling frustrated with **Tao Form's** time traveling effect. Darmanitan gave a pat on the Nuvema boy's shoulders, comforting him as Riolu settled onto his human brother's lap, rubbing his paws on his chest.

"Dar Dar..." Darmanitan replied softly. _"Everything will be alright, big bro."_ Riolu assured as the Nuvema boy sighed. He then glanced at Darmanitan, a question in his mind. "By the way... Darmanitan, what were you doing, following us without letting us know?" Takeru asked as the Blazing Pokémon nervously scratched his hand with a nervous explanation.

With the story finished, Riolu translated. _"After helping him and the Darumakas at the clock tower, Darmanitan wanted to thank you and Ash for helping him and his two friends with saving the clock tower. Then, for some reason, he grew more interested in you, so he followed us to see where you were going. And when we were attacked by Gothitelle, that's when Darmanitan decided to reveal himself."_ Riolu explained.

"I see... But why were you interested in me? Just what did I do to make you so interested?" Takeru asked as Darmanitan made his answer. "Darmanitan! Dar..." Darmanitan explained as the Emanation Pokémon translated once more. _"He said that he wants to grow stronger so he could protect his favorite town. With you, he believes... He could get stronger by traveling with you, big bro!"_ Riolu explained happily.

Takeru smiled, before understanding Darmanitan's desire. "I see..." Takeru said, while smiling as the young girl came up to him. "Excuse me?" The young girl asked, catching Takeru and the two Pokémon's attention. "Uh... Yes?" Takeru gulped as the girl frowned, noticing the small light around Takeru's body, and the way he was dressed, as well with his face looking scary and weird.

"Are you feeling okay? I mean... The way when you're glowing..." The girl asked, causing Takeru to sweat drop and groan, until he quickly sat up, assuring to the girl that he was fine. "Yeah... I'm okay. It's nothing to worry about!" Takeru assured, as the girl blinked, before she smiled. "Oh... Okay! I was also going to ask if you wanted some snacks or juice?" The young girl asked.

"Goth Gothitelle?" Gothitelle asked along, while smiling. Seeing Ash, Iris, Cilan, Pikachu, and Axew eating some snacks already, the Nuvema boy sighed, before accepting the offer. "Sure! Some snacks and juice, please." Takeru replied as the girl gave him, Darmanitan, and Riolu some sweets, cookies, and juices. While they were eating, Ash and Iris began to compliment the snacks.

"Mm... Tasty!" "Pikachu!" Ash and Pikachu said as they ate. "Did you make these?" Iris asked as the young girl giggled. "I sure did!" The girl answered as the two ladies eating the snacks complimented them as well. "Good for you! They're great!" The woman commented along. "Uh, Captain? I heard that the Water Taxi is going to close!" The second woman called.

That caught the young girl's attention as she blinked in surprise. "That would be a terrible shame!" The first woman agreed as the Captain sighed. "Mm... Well, there's not much I can do about it!" The captain sighed as the water taxi moved on, moving past halfway of the unfinished bridge. As the taxi was passing by, Cilan frowned at the bridge, recognizing it.

"I'm sure of it! That has got to be the Skyarrow Bridge!" Cilan pointed out, much to the other's surprise. "Huh!? But, this bridge isn't even finished yet!" Iris reminded as Takeru narrowed his eyes. "I was about to say this to all you guys, right after I finished talking with Zekrom." Takeru replied, catching the others' attention. "What do you mean, Takeru?" Ash asked.

"Pika?" Pikachu asked along. "When my body was unconscious, my spirit took a visit to Zekrom's world, where we talked on about Gothitelle suddenly attacking us at the bridge... He mentioned about **Tao Form's** other effect that includes time traveling." Takeru explained, causing both Ash and Iris to widen their eyes in shock. "Did you say... time traveling!?" Ash yelped.

"You mean... we've traveled through time in the past!?" Iris yelped in surprise as Cilan frowned, agreeing with his old friend's words. "Perhaps what you say about time traveling may be right... But, there might be another explanation..." Cilan stated, causing the nature girl to be confused. "Huh? What do you mean?" Iris asked as the Connoisseur began to think.

"Here's your snack!" The young girl piped up, catching everyone's attention. They all turned to see the girl and Gothitelle eating their snacks together, while enjoying it at the same time. "Yummy, isn't it?" The girl giggled as the Astral Body Pokémon agreed with it. "Gothitelle!" Gothitelle agreed. Takeru watched as he continued his explanation to the group.

"As I was saying about **Tao Form's** effect including time traveling... Zekrom mentioned that when a person that activates **Tao Form** before time traveling... Then, that person will remain in **Tao Form** until that person heads back to the present." Takeru explained, shocking the others in the process. "You mean to say... You can't go back to normal unless we go back!?" Ash gasped.

"Pika!?" _"Big... bro?"_ Pikachu gasped while Riolu felt concerned, deeper than before. There was silence, and it remained with the group until they arrived at their stop, reaching what could be, the other side. But, as everyone got off, the Kanto trainer blinked, before noticing something odd. Takeru felt it too as the two boys looked around in confusion. "Wait a sec... This can't be right!" Ash snapped.

Iris and Cilan noticed it as well as the four trainers and their four Pokémon ran up to the hill, only to see the same area where they were! There was the water taxi house, as well as the small pier. And where they arrived didn't have large buildings, but the same trees as the group saw! "Hey! I think we're back to where we started!" Ash explained with Iris confused.

"But, that doesn't make sense! She said that we were going to the other side!" Iris replied her confusion as Takeru clenched his fists, getting confused and suspicious at the same time. "Just, what's going on here...? Did they make a mistake of some sort?" Takeru asked in suspicion. "Hm... I think... We're stuck in some kind of a loop!" Cilan answered.

The others looked at the Connoisseur with Iris asking. "What do you mean, loop?" Iris asked as the Striaton Gym Leader started to explain. "No matter how many times we ride on that boat... We'll always be right back on where we started!" Cilan explained, causing Takeru, Ash, Iris, Pikachu, Riolu, and Darmanitan to all gasp in shock and disbelief.

**Later...**

A few minutes passed as noting had changed except for the girl and Gothitelle doing some work for the water taxi pier. "So now what?" Iris asked as she slumped down, unsure of what to do. "Beats me... Any ideas, Takeru?" Ash asked, turning to the still **Tao Form** Nuvema boy. "I've got nothing, too..." Takeru admitted with a sigh. Everyone looked down to see the young girl calling for Gothitelle.

"Gothitelle! We need to stock up on more juice, since we sold out!" The young girl called. At the reason, the Astral Body Pokémon came over to the small warehouse and opened the door with Psychic! Then, it brought out three boxes for the water taxi to have in case there were more customers coming by. "Wheee! Ha ha ha ha!" The young girl said happily as she and Gothitelle headed back to the pier.

They watched as the two seemed to be having fun until Cilan brought up a thought. "I had a thought. Perhaps we should find out more about Gothitelle!" Cilan suggested, causing the others to smile and agree. "Good idea!" Ash agreed, as Takeru and Iris agreed as well. With that agreed, the four trainers and the four Pokémon headed down the hill, meeting the young girl once more.

"Hi again!" Ash called, catching the girl's attention. "Oh! It's the customers from before!" The young girl said happily as the group introduced themselves to her. "Well, my name is Ash! And this is my partner, Pikachu!" "Pikachu!" Ash and Pikachu said together as they introduced themselves. "Hello! My name is Iris!" "Ew Axew!" Iris and Axew said together.

"My name's Takeru! This is my little partner, Riolu! And a big friend here, Darmanitan!" Takeru explained as both Riolu and Darmanitan said their greetings to the young girl. "My name is Sally! And of course you know Gothitelle!" Sally explained as the Astral Body Pokémon waved to the group. "You help out with the water taxi? Excellent!" Cilan said as Sally giggled.

"Yep! That's because my daddy is the Captain of the water taxi!" Sally explained as Takeru began to explain. "Well, the thing is, we heard that the water taxi was about to close, so we wanted to ride on it one more time." Takeru explained as the young girl smiled. "It just so happens lots of customers say the same thing! Isn't that right, Gothitelle?" Sally explained, turning to the Psychic Type.

"Gothi Goth!" Gothitelle agreed with a smile and a nod. "Awesome! Is Gothitelle your Pokémon?" Ash asked. "Mm mm... You see, Gothitelle was living around in the area as a wild Pokémon. But one day, Gothitelle just started helping us out! Gothitelle and I are quite the team, you know? We're the best!" Sally laughed as the two embraced each other happily.

As they released each other, Sally explained about the situation they have right now. "We've got a lot to do! So, we'll see you later! Bye!" Sally called before she and Gothitelle headed back to work, working on stocking up the snacks and the supplies they need for the water taxi. After the conversation with Sally, the group headed back up the hill, watching the unfinished bridge and the pier.

"Everything seems normal to me!" Ash pointed out, with Iris agreeing. "Yeah! Just a little girl and a Pokémon!" Iris agreed. They all watched as the young girl and Gothitelle were cleaning the water taxi's floors, both looking happy as they worked hard together. "Just a little girl and a Pokémon, huh...?" Takeru repeated with a sigh, feeling a bit uneasy about the two.

To be continued...

**Takeru's Team:**

**Riolu: (M): (Aura Sphere, Blaze Kick, ThunderPunch, Dig)**

**Deino: (M): (Dragon Rage, Headbutt, Bite, Incinerate)**

**Tranquill: (M): (Air Cutter, Gust, Roost, Aerial Ace)**

**Tepig: (M): (Flamethrower, Smog, Flame Charge, Rollout)**

**Zorua: (F): (Scratch, Leer, Pursuit, ?)**

**Petilil: (F): (Magical Leaf, Stun Spore, Mega Drain, Sleep Powder)**

With Prof. Juniper:

**Joltik: (M): (Electro Ball, Electroweb, String Shot, Signal Beam)**

Next chapters:

**Chapter 42: The Memory World of Gothitelle!**

**Chapter 43: The Invasion of the Venipede!**

**Chapter 44: Settle Down, Venipede! Case Closed!?**

**Chapter 45: Team Rocket VS Team Plasma! Pt. 1**

**Chapter 46: Team Rocket VS Team Plasma! Pt. 2**

**Next chapter preview:**

Ash: Gothitelle! Please, let us through! We don't want to fight you! We just want to get across!

Cilan: It's no use! Gothitelle isn't listening to us at all! I think it's because of it waiting for Sally!

Takeru: No matter the reason, it's too stubborn! If reasoning won't help, then I'll have to do this by force!

Iris: Takeru, don't overdo **Tao Form** too much! I think that's why your body isn't supporting you!

Sally: Gothitelle, please wait! I'm so sorry for leaving you alone many years ago...

Takeru: It's... staying calm now?... Urgh! **Tao Form** is needed so that I can... help you guys!


	42. The Memory World of Gothitelle!

**Chapter 42: The Memory World of Gothitelle!**

Last time on "Pokémon Unova Journey", Takeru, Ash, Iris, and Cilan were getting close to Castelia City as they needed to cross Skyarrow Bridge to get there. But while stopping at a mart, the group met Prof. Juniper as she explained about the legends of Zekrom, Reshiram, and Kyurem all together as the three needed three humans to help protect Unova and all the other regions.

Zekrom was to give off **Black Tao Form**, Reshiram gives off **White Tao Form**, and Kyurem gives off **Gray Tao Form**. With the new information received, the group continued to the Skyarrow Bridge, which soon became enshrouded by fog. They were stopped by a hostile Gothitelle, who refused to let anyone pass! Even with their old friend, Darmanitan approaching, everyone was blasted away by a strange light.

As everyone recovered, Takeru's **Tao Form** was somehow stuck on him, preventing him from returning to normal as they met up with the water taxi girl named Sally, who had befriended a Gothitelle with her. But as the group rode on the water taxi, they found themselves in a time loop as they tried to figure out a way to get out of the past so that they could continue their way.

* * *

"Everything seems normal to me!" Ash pointed out, with Iris agreeing. "Yeah! Just a little girl and a Pokémon!" Iris agreed. They all watched as the young girl and Gothitelle were cleaning the water taxi's floors, both looking happy as they worked hard together. "Just a little girl and a Pokémon, huh...?" Takeru repeated with a sigh, feeling a bit uneasy about the two.

"I have to tell you... That Gothitelle seems pretty happy!" Iris pointed out. "Yeah..." Ash agreed, smiling at the two smiling at each other while working. The group remained silent, as Pikachu, Axew, Riolu, and Darmanitan remained silent as well. But just then, Cilan had an idea as he widened his eyes in realization. He turned to the group with his hypothesis about the world they were in.

"It's possible that we're in a world that Gothitelle had created!" Cilan reminded, catching the others by surprise. "But, Cilan... How could Gothitelle do that?" Ash asked. "It's easy, Ash... Remember that bright flowing light that surrounded us?" Takeru asked, causing everyone to now turn at the still **Tao Form** Nuvema boy. "You mean, during our battle with it?" Ash asked in confusion.

He remembered about the bright light when he and Snivy fought against Gothitelle with Takeru and Darmanitan. "That's right! Gothitelle actually has the power to warp space! And I believe that we've gotten lost in the world that was created as a result! You may find this difficult to believe, but I think Gothitelle was the driving force behind the fog! Especially considering when Swanna's Defog wasn't able to eliminate it!" Cilan explained.

"So, that's saying Gothitelle was the one that created the fog that can't be droven away that easily? That makes sense, considering that Gothitelle could've used her powers to create the fog and create this world in the process. And, it also could be the reason why **Tao Form** isn't shutting down inside me..." Takeru explained, as he looked at himself once more, still in his new power.

"Yeah... That does make sense!" Ash agreed with widened eyes. Turning to the Astral Body Pokémon, Cilan made up a theory of his own about Gothitelle. "My theory is, after the Skyarrow Bridge was completed, there was a strong possibility that Sally and Gothitelle moved away from the area! This must be the world of Gothitelle's memories! I'm sure of it!" Cilan guessed as he stood up.

"When we got to the bridge on our side of the world, the water taxi wasn't there, like that woman said before at the mart... That must've been all in the past... The past we're in right now..." Takeru replied nervously, narrowing his eyes as he recalled the pictures he'd seen about the water taxi. Iris frowned, before thinking about the memories Sally and Gothitelle shared together.

"You know, all those happy times Gothitelle had with Sally, must be one of the dearest memories Gothitelle has!" Iris replied, thinking with wonder. "Much like the time we spent with our Pokémon creates many special memories for us! So for the Pokémon as well, the time they spent with their Trainers is just as special to them!" Cilan added, causing Takeru to glance at his Riolu.

_"That reminds me of the special memories we shared together... Right, big bro?"_ Riolu asked, looking at his human brother, who only rubbed his furry blue head in response. "Yeah... I do remember the time we spent together... The time we played together, slept together, and ate together... and the time when we trained together to get stronger..." Takeru sighed softly, before looking up.

"They really were precious memories to me..." Takeru assured, causing Riolu to moan in joy as he felt his human brother scratching behind his ear. "Wait... So, you're saying that this is Gothitelle's dearest memories? They don't seem so great to me..." Ash commented, while frowning. "Well, maybe they're special for Gothitelle!" Iris guessed, as the Nuvema boy looked down.

The Captain of the water taxi seemed to be preparing to get back to work as he smiled at both Sally and Gothitelle, as the A-Class Connoisseur smiled. "Well, that makes sense! They must have meaning for Gothitelle we simply don't understand!" Cilan guessed as the group and their Pokémon watched Gothitelle saying her goodbye to Sally and her father. "Bye-bye! See you!" Sally called.

"Gothitelle!" The Psychic Type Pokémon said happily before it floated away into the fog. "There she goes..." Takeru pointed out, causing him and Ash to stand up. "Let's go!" Ash called as he ran after the Astral Body Pokémon. "Right!" Takeru, Cilan, and Iris agreed. Riolu, Pikachu, Axew, and Darmanitan all followed along, as they all ran after the evolved Psychic Type Pokémon.

As they were following Gothitelle, the Astral Body Pokémon seemed to have led the group to the unfinished Skyarrow Bridge! "Gothitelle, wait up!" Ash called. At the call of the familiar voice, Gothitelle stopped before it glared at the familiar humans and Pokémon that were coming to her way. "Gothitelle, please listen to us! We don't want to fight! We just want to talk!" Takeru explained.

The four trainers and their four Pokémon all stopped in front of where Gothitelle was, a bit far from the Psychic Type. "You created this world from your memories, correct!? Well, we've gotten trapped here by accident!" Cilan explained. "We want to return to our own world!" Ash explained, trying to reason with the Psychic Type. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu agreed, trying to stick up for Ash.

"We're not saying it isn't a nice world, because it is! But, we need to get back to ours!" Iris explained. "Iris is right! The truth is... We don't belong in this world! This is a part of your precious memories! This is something that we can't stay on, or interfere on! Do you understand what we mean by that!?" Takeru explained, only for the Psychic Type to glare darkly at the group, feeling annoyed by the words.

"Gothitelle..." Gothitelle hissed, as Riolu blinked. _"She's saying... We can't leave!?" _Riolu barked in shock. At the translation, the Astral Body Pokémon shot a Psywave attack, aiming it at the group! "AH!" Everyone ducked down to evade the uncalled attack as the Kanto trainer tried to reason with Gothitelle once more, despite of it being no use. "Can't you understand!? We're just trying to-" Ash started.

His words were interrupted as Gothitelle shot another Psywave attack at him! "What's wrong with you!?" Takeru snapped as he stood up, his two fists crackling with electricity. "Like I said, we don't want to fight you! We just want to talk!" Takeru protested. "Goth! Gothitelle!" Gothitelle snapped angrily as it shot another Psywave attack, targeting the Nuvema boy this time.

"BROTHER!" Riolu yelped desperately in shock. "Takeru, look out!" Ash yelled. The Nuvema boy only gritted his teeth as he raised his hands. "That's not going to work on me, Gothitelle!" Takeru grunted as he formed an electric shield to block the Psychic Type attack. The sudden appearance of the shield left the Astral Body Pokémon shocked as she glared at the Nuvema boy in suspicion.

"Goth! Gothitelle Goth!" Gothitelle said darkly, with the Emanation Pokémon translating. _"She's asking... 'You're no normal human. What are you'!?"_ Riolu translated. "That's for me to know, and for you to find out!" Takeru retorted as Cilan made up a suggestion. "Hey, Ash! Takeru! Maybe if you two have a battle with Gothitelle, we just might learn something that can help us get out of here!" Cilan suggested.

"Great idea..." Takeru started, only for Darmanitan to step up! "Dar! Darmanitan!" The Fire Type said angrily. _"He wants to have a rematch with Gothitelle, since their last battle was interrupted by her powers..."_ Riolu translated once more. "That's fine with me. I'll grant you that wish, Darmanitan! Prepare for battle!" Takeru called. "Man!" Darmanitan grunted, filled with determination.

"You're not in this alone, Takeru! Snivy, I choose you!" Ash called. The Grass Snake Pokémon appeared, facing Gothitelle alongside with her Fire Type comrade. Gothitelle only prepared herself for battle as she made the first move, with several Psywave attacks!

**Gothitelle VS Takeru / Ash: Darmanitan / Snivy**

Several Psywaves were shot at both Darmanitan and Snivy, as the two dodged all of them. But in the process, the construction for the Skyarrow Bridge started to get demolished! "Use Vine Whip!" "You use Fire Punch!" The two boys yelled together. At the double order, both Snivy and Darmanitan aimed to strike, only for their double attacks to be blocked by Gothitelle's Protect!

At the attacks being deflected, the vines and the flames knocked more of the construction site down, as the battle went on. "You're quite persistent... Darmanitan! Use Flamethrower!" Takeru yelled again. This time, a special attack was shot only for Gothitelle to counter with another Psywave attack! "Leaf Blade, let's go!" Ash yelled. Snivy took her turn to slash Gothitelle with her attack.

But then, the Astral Body Pokémon disappeared, and several more came out! "This is Double Team!" Takeru grunted as Snivy looked around, frustrated to not know which one was her real opponent. Just then, one of the clones attempted to shoot a Psywave attack at Snivy! "Snivy, look out!" Ash gasped, catching the Grass Snake Pokémon's attention. Snivy quickly turned, but it was too late.

Psywave was already shot, and it looked like it was going to be a direct hit! Snivy shut her eyes tight, preparing for a hit, only to feel nothing but hear a grunt. "DAR!" Darmanitan grunted in pain, protecting Snivy at the same time. "Darmanitan!?" Ash gasped, as Snivy widened her eyes at seeing her evolved friend protecting her. "S-Sniv...?" Snivy stuttered in shock and concern.

"Darmanitan..." Takeru whispered as the clones of Gothitelle's Double Team disappeared. The Nuvema boy narrowed his eyes as the Astral Body Pokémon still looked ready to fight. "That's power...!" Ash said in amazement and shock. "Gothitelle will do everything possible to protect its memories!" Cilan pointed out in realization. "That's what making it determined to win, huh...?" Takeru said silently.

He clenched his fists, small electricity crackling once more. "Like I was trying to say... We don't want to harm your memories! We just want to leave here in peace!" Takeru snapped as Gothitelle remained hostile and distrustful. It's like she was ignoring the humans' angry words, and was more interested in battling her enemies and winning to protect her precious memories with Sally.

"Goth... Goth..." Gothitelle hissed silently. "Can you keep going, Darmanitan!?" Takeru called. "Darm... Dar!" Darmanitan assured with a thumbs up and a weak grin. "What about you, Snivy!?" Ash called. "Snivy!" The Grass Snake Pokémon responded with determination. "Then, use Leaf Storm! Now!" Ash called. At the order, Snivy leapt in the air, while launching Leaf Storm at Gothitelle!

"Help Snivy out with Flamethrower, Darmanitan!" Takeru called. Flamethrower was once again shot as the two moves attempted to blast Gothitelle away, only for her to use Protect to deflect all the special attacks! Leaves from the Leaf Storm and small flames from Flamethrower began to badly damage the construction site, leaving everyone bewildered at the results of the battle currently.

"Argh! Use Leaf Blade!" "Aid Snivy with Fire Punch!" Ash and Takeru yelled together. Once more, the physical attacks came, as the Astral Body Pokémon countered by launching Psywave at the two! The three moves collided together, before it created an explosion, causing more destruction for the construction site, while putting the group and their Pokémon in danger at the same time!

Then, Gothitelle looked really annoyed as it began to use Psychic! It lifted all the construction parts to attack the group, causing them to stand back. "Brace yourselves, everyone!" Takeru warned, which they understood. But, before the Astral Body Pokémon could throw the parts at the group and their four Pokémon, a familiar voice came by, calling for the angry Psychic Type Pokémon.

"Gothitelle!?" A woman called, running to Gothitelle and the group, catching everyone by surprise. It was the same woman from back at the PokéMart! She looked like she was running for life as she panted before she looked up at Gothitelle. "Gothitelle, it's me! Don't you remember?" The woman asked, catching everyone by surprise, while leaving the Psychic Type suspicious and confused.

"Yes, you must remember me! I'm Sally!" The woman named Sally explained. That left Gothitelle shocked and bewildered as the Kanto trainer was shocked, too. "She's Sally!?" Ash yelped. "Sally from the Water Taxi!?" Cilan added his shock. "So, she's the little girl!?" Iris shrieked in shock. "But, what is she doing here in Gothitelle's memory world?!" Takeru asked in confusion and shock.

They remembered what the little Sally looked like. The young Sally looked like a bright and cheerful girl who always seemed busy with the Water Taxi. But, this Sally seemed older, and looked a bit more mature and serious. Gothitelle looked at the older Sally with disbelief and shock as Sally began to walk to her. "It's really me, Gothitelle... And I somehow gotten lost here." Sally assured.

She stepped up in front of her old friend, before explaining. "It started when I was walking through the fog on the Skyarrow Bridge! It seems that this world is from your memory, isn't it?" Sally asked. The woman smiled softly, before she recalled the time when the Skyarrow Bridge was finally finished being built, and when she and her father had to move away, with Gothitelle joining them.

**Flashback**

_It was the day when the Skyarrow Bridge was open, and at the night, the father and daughter were making their final journey under the bridge. "Sally! This is the final journey for our little Water Taxi!" The Captain reminded her daughter, as little Sally sighed sadly, knowing that her father was right. As soon as the three made it back to the small pier, they began to close down their water taxi shop._

_Their home also had to be closed, since it was part of the shop, as everything was locked and ready to be closed. All they needed to do was to get their furniture and leave for another place for a home. Just as the Captain sighed and turned, he widened his eyes to see his daughter holding a flower bouquet for him! "Captain! This is for all the hard work you've done for us!" Sally explained._

_She gave the bouquet to the Captain, as the Captain chuckled, before accepting the bouquet happily. "Oh! Thank you, dear!" The Captain thanked, before the two heard a cracking voice. They both turned to see tears starting to come out of Gothitelle's eyes as she began to cry, looking up at the Skyarrow Bridge. It seemed to be crying, due to the fact that the Water Taxi days were over now._

_Sally sadly smiled at her Psychic Type friend as she tried to calm her down. "Gothitelle, please... No need to cry! It's okay! Please don't cry!" Sally tried to assure as she wiped the tears from Gothitelle's eyes. She smiled sadly at her crying Gothitelle, who kept crying and crying, until she understood about the situation Sally and her father had about the business of the Water taxi ending._

_The next day, all the furnitures and things were packed for the move as the daughter and father began to make their leave for their new home. "Alright! Time to go!" The Captain called, causing her daughter to get inside the truck. "Okay!" Sally agreed. But just before she could get inside, she glanced at her sad looking Gothitelle, who looked sad to see her friends go and leave her alone._

_But that feeling seem to have went away as Sally smiled, before she offered a hand to the Astral Body Pokémon. "Do you want to come?" Sally asked. That left the Psychic Type to widen her eyes for a moment before she accepted her offer and coming with her human friend and her father. With the agreement said, the truck began to move, leaving the Skyarrow Bridge and their old home._

_As they were driving away, Sally watched as the bridge and their old home seemed to be farther and farther, until it was no longer in sight._ "Then, we moved, to a brand new city where my uncle owned a factory..." _Sally explained, remembering their new home and their new work with her uncle, until years have passed, where she became older and older, until she was nearly a grown up ready to move on._

"Later, I decided to go to medical school, and study to become a doctor... So, I moved into a dormitory there." _Sally explained as she also recalled moving away from her home to start her dream. The past then shifted to Gothitelle suddenly floating away as the young girl, now a woman sadly smiled. _"It wasn't until, several years later, that Dad told me you had mysteriously disappeared!" _Sally explained._

**Flashback End**

At the end of her past story, Sally smiled before she held Gothitelle's hands. "Now, I know... that this is where you went! See, Gothitelle? I studied very hard, and now I'm a doctor! I go from hospital to hospital, working as a doctor in training! And after being assigned to a hospital near here, I came to have a look!... I missed this place, like you do. We had so much fun back then..." Sally reminded.

"We lived to ride that water taxi, didn't we? Selling tickets together, to wonderful people... and snacks and juice, too! It may not seem like a life to some, but for us, those memories were and always will be... so very special..." Sally assured, as she recalled the many times she and her father rode the water taxi with the passengers and Gothitelle together, and the time when they worked together for people.

"I'm so glad you feel the same way... The life we shared before the bridge was built... I thank you... Thank you so very, very much." Sally thanked. Her voice seemed to have cracked as tears welled in her eyes, due to the thoughts about her precious time and memories she had spent with Gothitelle as a child. She let go of the Astral Body Pokémon's hands, before saying her sad words.

"But, the truth is, no matter how we wish, we can't turn back the hands of time... I can't... and neither can you!" Sally reminded, telling her friend about the truth of time and wish. Instead of being hostile about it, Gothitelle's face softened as she wiped the tears from Sally's eyes. "Gothi...? Gothitelle..." Gothitelle said soothingly, as Sally opened her eyes in surprise to see Gothitelle understanding the truth.

"Gothitelle!" Gothitelle said happily._ "She's saying... She understands now, what Sally is saying..." _Riolu translated, before he smiled softly at the reunion the two were making. "Mm... I guess we don't have to worry about Gothitelle being hostile anymore, now due to her understanding of what really needs to be done." Takeru said, as the others smiled in understanding and acceptance.

They all continued to watch, as Sally held up her Psychic Type friend's hands, as she looked like she wanted to say something. But, before she could speak again, a wind blew, causing the fog started to cover the unfinished bridge and the group! Sally widened her eyes in surprise as everyone watched to see the fog covering them and the bridge as they were all bewildered to see what was happening.

As time passed, the fog had completely disappeared, causing everyone to look around on where they were. They weren't at the bridge anymore, but they were near the bridge, the same location of where the water taxi's house used to be in! Takeru blinked, before he held his head, groaning. "Ugh... My head... and my body... It feels, so weak... Huh!?" Takeru groaned, before he gasped.

Riolu turned and widened his eyes to see that **Tao Form** had disappeared, changing the Nuvema boy back to normal. _"Brother! You're back to normal now!"_ Riolu cheered happily. The Nuvema boy smiled at the realization, before he nodded with a small smile on his face. "Yeah... I guess I am..." Takeru agreed as he hugged Riolu back, as the others noticed about Takeru's body conditions.

"**Tao Form** is gone! That would mean... are we back in our world?" Ash asked. Iris turned to the Skyarrow Bridge, noticing its current conditions. "Yeah! Look! The bridge is finished!" Iris pointed out. "We're back in our own world!" Ash exclaimed happily. The four trainers and their four Pokémon all smiled to see their world again, as Sally only frowned, before she looked up at the bridge.

She widened her eyes as she noticed Gothitelle at the very top! "But, Gothitelle...!?" Sally started, only for Gothitelle to smile at her human friend, causing Sally to stop in her tracks as she smiled at her old friend. "Gothitelle, tell me. If I come visit, may I see you again?" Sally asked, feeling hopeful. Like she had wished for, the Astral Body Pokémon responded happily with a nod and a smile on her face.

"Gothitelle!" Gothitelle responded happily as she used the fog she created to take her away as she disappeared from the top of the Skyarrow Bridge, and out of everyone's sight. "Dear Gothitelle..." Sally said silently with a smile. "Well, what do you know! Gothitelle puts its memories to rest! By seeing you all grown up!" Cilan pointed out. "Do you really think so?" Sally asked in surprise.

"I sure do! Once Gothitelle saw on how you cherish your time together, it was time to let go!" Cilan assured. "Cilan's right!" Ash agreed. "Pikachu!" Pikachu said happily. "For sure! Gothitelle looked really happy, didn't it?" Iris added along. "Yeah... With the smile on its face, and the way it got us back to our own world... Gothitelle seemed to understand your words." Takeru explained.

_"Mm hm! And that means, Gothitelle won't be bothering anyone now, thanks to her understanding on what truly needs to be done."_ Riolu barked along happily. Takeru glanced at her Fighhting Type, before chucking and nodding in agreement. Sally on the other hand, looked back up to where Gothitelle had disappeared to, before she made up her mind. "Perhaps... Actually, I'm sure, too." Sally responded peacefully.

Just then, the four trainers, Sally, and their four Pokémon all turned to see a motorbike approaching with Officer Jenny on it. "Looks like the fog has cleared! Huh? Isn't that strange..." Officer Jenny admitted, recalling on how deep the fog was before. That left Ash, Iris, and Takeru all laughing nervously at the officer's frown. "You could say that if you wanted!" Ash chuckled nervously.

"On the other hand, it's not so strange at all!" Iris assured. The two answers left the officer widening her eyes in surprise, before she smiled in understanding. "Anyway, I'll open the bridge again." Officer Jenny chuckled as she drove away, preparing to make the signal that crossing the bridge was safe now. As she drove off, Takeru turned to the bridge, before making his suggestion.

"Alright then! Let's cross that bridge while it's about to open!" Takeru called. "Right!" Ash, Iris, and Cilan agreed together. Riolu, Pikachu, Axew, and Darmanitan all agreed along, as Sally decided to accompany them with the crossing, too. Soon, everyone was on the bridge, as they all recalled of the water taxi crossing under the bridge before in the past. "To think the water taxi used to pass under here!" Iris giggled.

"It is amazing. Thank you all for everything!" Sally thanked, feeling thankful for the group's help. "No problem!" "Pikachu!" Ash and Pikachu said together. "You know, to be honest, being able to see what occurred before the Skyarrow Bridge was built, was actually kind of fun." Takeru admitted, with a sheepish smile on his face. "Yeah... We'll never forget it!" Iris assured happily as Sally sighed with a smile.

"It's like a dream, the memories, hidden within the wisps of the passing fog..." Sally commented, causing the Nuvema boy to smile softly, knowing what she meant with her words. As the conversation sounded like it had ended, the group began to part with Sally as she waved her goodbye to the group. "Goodbye! Thank you again!" Sally called, as the group waved back with their goodbyes, too.

"Goodbye, Sally!" "Pika Pika!" Ash and Pikachu said together. "You take care!" Iris called along. "Best wishes on your way!" Takeru called. "And lots of luck at your new job!" Cilan added with a reminder. Sally smiled and nodded before she went on her way to her job as she soon disappeared from the group's sight. "So, Pokémon love their memories, huh..." Ash said as Iris smiled, knowing what to say to her starter.

"We have lots of new memories to back, don't we, Axew?" Iris asked. "Ew!" Axew agreed, as he sounded excited to make some new memories with his trainer. Takeru sighed, before holding his head. "To think **Tao Form** could take this much energy from me... I'm kind of feeling dizzy..." Takeru admitted as he closed his eyes with annoyance of the side effects. Riolu frowned, as he glanced at Darmanitan.

The evolved Fire Type shrugged as the Nuvema boy remembered something as he turned to the evolved Fire Type. "Oh, that's right! Darmanitan, I didn't recruit you to my team yet, didn't I?" Takeru said as he took out an empty Pokéball. He held it up for Darmanitan to touch as the giant Pokémon slowly pressed the button the Pokéball, allowing himself to be captured as the ball's button glowed red for a moment.

Then, after a few seconds, the ball stopped glowing, showing that the Nuvema boy had caught his eighth Pokémon. "Alright! This is it! Our new comrade! And, it's Darmanitan!" Takeru declared as he held his Pokéball up in the air. _"Alright!" _Riolu cheered, happy to have a new comrade at their side for the journey. Ash, Iris, and Cilan all smiled at their Nuvema friend having a new teammate on his team.

But just before the celebration could continue, the Pokéball's button turned red, signaling that one of his Pokéballs needs to be sent over to Prof. Juniper. "So much for a new teammate, I guess..." Takeru said sheepishly, as Riolu grinned sheepishly as well. "Now, now... All you need to do is send one Pokémon back to Prof. Juniper, at the Castelia City's Pokémon Center! Then, you can get Darmanitan in your team!" Cilan assured.

"R-Right..." Takeru said in agreement, as he caught up with the others. "Alright then! Castelia City, here we come!" Ash called as he ran ahead, much to Takeru's dismay as he caught up with his friends just now. "Hey! Wait up!" "Me, too!" Iris and Cilan called up as they ran after the Kanto trainer, leaving the Nuvema boy behind. "Again...? Ugh... Hey! Slow down!" Takeru snapped annoyingly.

He ran after his three friends with Riolu at his side, as Castelia City was coming up, with the group reaching the end of the Skyarrow Bridge. But what they didn't know, was that someone who knew them was already there.

**Meanwhile...**

Below Castelia City, at the sewers, the same hooded boy from near the Ducklett incident seemed to be talking to someone with his Xtransceiver, with his Riolu (Ryuu), and Zorua (Chikage) at his side. "You're at Castelia City, huh?" A young voice came from the Xtransceiver. "Yeah... I'm getting a bad feeling about this city all of a sudden... It's like something bad is going to happen." The hooded boy explained.

"I see... Well, Sarah and I are getting a high energy reading coming from the Desert Resort... And it seems like, it's heading to the city and where you're in... So, brace yourselves for impact, dude." The voice warned, as the hooded boy let out a small chuckle. "You mean to be careful? You show know, that the Shadow Demon like me is never careful during a tough situation that's about to come." The hooded boy (Shadow Demon) reminded.

"Heh... You've got a point. Still, it's wise to be careful sometime." The voice said with reminder. "Alright... I'll just investigate this place more before I call you... So, tell me when something's up, Pierce, okay?" The Shadow Demon requested, earning a chuckle from the other end. "Alright then... You too, Shade." The voice, known as Pierce called back as the connection was cut down.

The Shadow Demon, or Shade, flipped his hood off, revealing his pale skin, green eyes, and white hair. "Alright then... Chi, Ryuu... Ready to do some investigating?" Shade asked, turning to his two Pokémon. "Ua!" "Rio!" The two Pokémon cried out their agreements as the three walked in the sewers, all searching for something weird. "We, the Dire Wolves... will complete our mission. A mission that is to be completed no matter what!" Shade declared.

To be continued...

**Takeru's Team:**

**Riolu: (M): (Aura Sphere, Blaze Kick, ThunderPunch, Dig)**

**Deino: (M): (Dragon Rage, Headbutt, Bite, Incinerate****)**

**Tranquill: (M): (Air Cutter, Gust, Aerial Ace, Roost)**

**Tepig: (M): (Flamethrower, Smog, Flame Charge, Rollout)**

**Zorua: (F): (Scratch, Leer, Pursuit, ?)**

**Darmanitan: (M): (Psychic, Bulk Up, Fire Punch, Flamethrower)**

**Petilil: (F): (Magical Leaf, Sleep Powder, Stun Spore, Mega Drain)**

With Prof. Juniper:

**Joltik: (M): (Electro Ball, Signal Beam, String Shot, Electroweb)**

Next chapters:

**Chapter 43: The Invasion of the Venipede!**

**Chapter 44: Settle Down Venipede! Case Closed!?**

**Chapter 45: Team Rocket VS Team Plasma! Pt. 1**

**Chapter 46: Team Rocket VS Team Plasma! Pt. 2**

**Chapter 47: Aura VS Art! Takeru's Promise!**

**Next chapter preview:**

Iris: What in the world is going on here!? These Venipede are terrorizing the city! Are they angry!?

Ash: Why are you attacking the Venipede, Trip!? Prof. Juniper is trying to find out the reason for this mess!

Trip: So naive... Ash, for your information, this isn't the Kanto region boonies, you know.

Takeru: You're not the Trip I knew anymore... I'm not going to let you cause any more trouble and chaos!

Shade: Hey, can you die of constipation? I'm kinda concerned 'cus of how full of crap you are.

Takeru: You... Who are you? You're... manipulating the shadows!? Just what are you!?


	43. The Invasion of the Venipede!

**Chapter 43: The Invasion of the Venipede!**

At a giant house in an unknown location, a young nine year old girl with platinum, blonde hair and pale skin sat on the house steps, holding a snowflake design metal flute in her small hands. She wore grey sweatshirt, torn black jeans, white sneakers, and white and black wristbands. She looked so young and innocent, as she softly smiled at the wind blowing at her face.

"Something wrong, Mana?" A familiar voice asked, causing the young girl called Mana to turn to see a teen boy coming down next to her on the steps. The boy has a brown long coat, a baseball cap, brown BDU pants, and black combat boots. He looked a bit older than the girl as he sat down next to her. "Hm... It's nothing, Pierce. I was just thinking, on how many years it has been..." Mana explained as she looked up at the sky.

"Well... I can certainly say it's been two years, ever since you joined the Dire Wolves." Pierce reminded. "Two years...?" Mana repeated, before she sighed. She stood up, holding the flute in her hands as she held it tightly. "Is this about your two brothers again? One that is lost, and the other that you remember back at your hometown?" Pierce asked, as the girl nodded softly in confirmation.

"Mm hm... My long lost eldest brother... I don't know where he could've went... But, I do know that my second older brother is just fine, back at Nuvema Town." Mana assured to herself as Pierce frowned. "This is the year when he is 11, right? So, shouldn't he be on a journey right now?" Pierce asked as Mana shrugged. "I don't know... He's not really a journey guy..." Mana admitted, recalling what her older brother was like.

"I see... Anyways, Shade is in Castelia City right now, investigating the sewers. Sarah and I had picked up some strong readings there for some reason." Pierce explained. "In the sewers? How... is that possible?" Mana asked in surprise. "Don't know. We're trying to find the reason for that, and Shade is doing the work..." Pierce explained as the nine year old girl sighed.

"Shade is doing this... Did you really have to send him out alone at a time like this?" Mana asked, causing Pierce to frown. "Well, he is the strongest out of all of us in the Dire Wolves... We had to trust someone like him." Pierce explained. "Still... You could've at least sent me to go with him..." Mana protested, causing Pierce to grin at her, knowing what she could possibly be thinking at the moment.

"What? You want to be with your boyfriend? He's the Shadow Demon, a shadow that works alone with his Pokémon. You know that he's strong, thanks to his stamina, endurance, and his powers." Pierce teased, causing the young girl to glare at him. "Be quiet! Stupid Pierce!" Mana shrieked angrily. That left the teen step back in surprise, before he laughed nervously as Mana turned her head away, pouting.

"C-Come on! You know I was just joking about the you and Shade part, right?" Pierce reassured, causing Mana to sigh. "Still... That was pretty mean of you." Mana grumbled, causing the teen to sweat drop again. "Are you two done with your conversation?" A soft voice called out to them. Both turned to see a girl, who had a dark grey long coat with black jeans and running shoes.

"Sarah? What are you doing here?" Pierce asked in surprise. "We picked up some strong energy readings from the Desert Resort... It seems that the strong energy was coming from that place to Castelia City, where our Shadow Demon is at the moment." The teen named Sarah explained. "The Desert Resort, huh... So, what are you saying about that?" Pierce asked.

"What I'm saying, is that I want the three of us to go and investigate there while we leave Shade to deal with Castelia City." Sarah explained. "Us three!? But, who will protect our home?" Mana asked in surprise. "Our defense team can handle that, Mana. They're stronger than you think they are." Sarah assured with a smile. "..." Mana kept silent as she sighed, before nodding in agreement.

"Alright then... I'll go, too." Mana replied as Pierce stepped up, taking out his plain half face mask, which covered his mouth and nose, but not his eyes. "How do you suppose we're getting there? Wait, don't tell me... With the chopper?" Pierce asked, causing Sarah to chuckle in amusement. "Very funny, Pierce." Sarah chuckled. She put on her half face mask with a jagged claw mark design on it.

The two began to walk up to the place where the chopper, as Pierce turned to Mana, who didn't seem to be following. "Mana? You coming?" Pierce called, catching the nine year old girl's attention. "Huh? Oh... I'm coming!" Mana assured as she began to run toward her two comrades before something fell out of her sweatshirt pocket. "Oh!?" Mana gasped as she quickly went down a few steps to pick it up.

It was a photo of her younger self and a familiar face, but younger as she looked at it, with tears welling in her eyes for a moment. "I hope that you're okay... Big brother Takeru..." Mana whispered before she put on a white half face mask that had the designs of icicles and snowflakes. She then followed Sarah and Pierce to where the helicopter was in order to head for the Desert Resort.

However, what Mana didn't know, was that her big brother was not in Nuvema Town right now... He was currently on a journey with his new friends to enter the Unova League, while finding his and her father at the same time.

* * *

**(Pokémon BW Opening (Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V Opening 4 Lyrics) (****English Subbed))**

(Many Pokéballs pass by, coming from the bright light)

**_Now is the time, hold up your trump card._**

**_ This future is yours to take!_**

(Takeru catches one of them and summons his Pokémon)

(The Best Wishes opening title shows with Takeru, Ash, Iris, and Cilan's four faces showing)

**_Burging brightly. _**

**_Like you're still watching an unending dream_**

(Takeru walks on a path at night with a serious expression on his face, with Riolu at his side)

**_Your body yearns for it. _**

**_A place where those who are strong are._**

(Ash stands at a battlefield, with Pikachu on his shoulder, as they prepare to face their opponent)

**_Shaky, wavering. _**

**_What you're looking for it nowhere to be found._**

(Cilan and Pansage are preparing supper, until they see a shooting star up on the evening sky)

**_But you're still seeking it._**

**_A place overwhelming with power._**

(Iris and Axew watches the forest on a high branch of a giant tree)

_**The next battle is waiting for me.**_

(Team Rocket and Team Plasma stand in opposition, ready to fight)

(Jessie, James, and Meowth stand above the Team Rocket organization)

(Aldith and Barrett stand above the Team Plasma organization)

(Giovanni and Ghetsis stand big and tall as each organization's leader)

**_I can hear the sign of new days coming._**

(A hooded boy turns, offering a hand, with his silhouetted Pokémon behind him)

(Takeru, Iris, Ash, Cilan, Nate, Rosa, and Hugh prepares to fight against their enemies)

(Riolu, Axew, Pikachu, Pansage, Pignite, Servine, and Dewott stands behind their trainers)

**_Now is the time, hold up your trump card. _**

**_This future is yours to take!_**

(Takeru summons all eight of his Pokémon; Riolu, Tranquill, Pignite, Joltik, Deino, Zorua, Darmanitan, and Petilil)

(Ash summons his Pokémon; Pikachu, Snivy, Tepig, Oshawott, Tranquill, Swadloon, and Scraggy)

**Whether your smile can shake this world is all up to you.**

(Iris summons her Pokémon; Axew, Emolga and Excadrill)

(Cilan summons his Pokémon; Pansage, Dwebble, and Stunfisk)

**_Write a new chapter in this story._**

**_After all, aren't you the hero?_**

(Zekrom and Reshiram roars together in opposition)

(Takeru and Zekrom merges together, making Takeru a different person)

(Takeru, Ash, Cilan, and Iris all stand together with all their current Pokémon)

**(Opening ends)**

* * *

"We made it! Gym battle, here I come!" "Pi Pikachu!" Ash and Pikachu cheered together. The two were excited about their Gym battle with Burgh ever since they had arrived in Castelia City. Before they tried to head for the Gym, Takeru had to switch Petilil for his Darmanitan in order to keep him in the team. With eight Pokémon in total, the Nuvema boy looked like he was on a roll right now.

With everything in order, the group walked around while heading for the Gym. "Castelia City sure is a big place, huh?" Iris commented as she noticed the giant buildings and with many people around. "What can you say? Castelia City is the biggest city known in the Unova region. So of course, many people would be around here." Takeru reminded as Cilan let out a chuckle.

"Right! And while we're here, we've got to find the place called the CasteliaCone! Their ice cream is famous!" Cilan explained, making both Takeru and Iris interested in the sweet talk. "Yummy! Let's go before the Gym battle!" Iris suggested, only for her suggestion to be denied by the Kanto trainer, who made his declaration to the group. "No way! After the Gym battle!" Ash protested.

"Pika Pika!" Pikachu agreed. The Nuvema boy sweat dropped before he laughed nervously. "You know, Ash... The Gym isn't going anywhere even if we went to get the Cones, you know?" Takeru asked. Riolu's mouth began to water after hearing about the sweet treat. _"Oh... I just wonder what the CasteliaCones taste like..." _Riolu sighed happily, causing the Nuvema boy to laugh at Riolu's desire.

Nevertheless, it was decided that Ash and Takeru's Gym battles would come first before the CasteliaCones. "The Gym is just up ahead! Let's take a shortcut across Central Plaza!" Cilan suggested, as the others agreed to this idea. "Ash, Takeru? Are you two ready for your Gym battles?" Iris asked, as the Kanto trainer grinned at the question. "Ready to give it everything that I've got!" Ash answered.

"I guess you can say, that I'm quite ready for a battle!" Takeru answered along, as Riolu and Pikachu agreed to their words. While they said that, the group noticed someone familiar besides them as they all spotted Burgh, the Castelia City Gym Leader in front of a tree! He looked to be confused about something as he looked up at the tree. "Huh? Burgh!?" Ash called, catching Burgh's attention.

"Oh! Ash! And Takeru, too!" Burgh said in surprise. With the Gym Leader noticing them, the group met up with the Bug Type user as they explained the reason for their being here. "I'm just on my way to challenge the Castelia Gym!" Ash explained. "That goes for me too. Of course, we know that the opponent we have to face is you." Takeru explained as he rubbed the back of his head.

"I see... But, I don't think I can battle now. Something's bothering me..." Burgh explained as he looked up at the tree once again. That left the group confused as Cilan asked. "Burgh, what is it?" Cilan asked. "The Bug Type Pokémon... They've picked up on something last night and they were restless ever since." Burgh explained, causing the Nuvema boy to frown. "Something last night?" Takeru repeated.

"You know what? I've heard Bug Type becomes restless when something bad is gonna happen!" Iris recalled, with the Gym Leader agreeing. "That's right! It's also scientifically proven that Bug Type Pokémon have an ability... They can sense electromagnetic waves!" Burgh explained, causing the Nuvema boy to frown. "Electromagnetic waves...?" Takeru repeated in confusion as he folded his arms.

He glanced at his Emanation Pokémon for a check. "You sense something, Riolu?" Takeru asked, as the Fighting Type denied this by shaking his head._ "Um... No, I don't sense anything right now, big bro..."_ Riolu said with a frown. Before Takeru could think again, Iris piped up about her feelings, too. "Hm... You know, I sense something, too!... From over there!" Iris explained as she pointed to a way.

Ash, Cilan, Takeru, and Burgh all widened their eyes in surprise as the nature girl led the boys to where she was sensing something, only for them to run into a closed shop. "Uh...?" Iris stuttered, as she realized on where she was pointing. In front of the group and Burgh was a CasteliaCone shop that looked to be closed! "CasteliaCone...! And it's closed to boot, too..." Cilan groaned in disappointment.

"This is what you were sensing? A closed shop? You have got to be kidding me..." Takeru sighed in disappointment. "Yeah... I think you were just hungry for some ice cream." Ash agreed, causing the nature girl to glare at the two. "How dare you both!?" Iris shrieked, as both Riolu and Pikachu sighed as well. Just then, a strong feeling came to Riolu's mind as he widened his eyes.

"Hm...? Takeru... I'm... I'm sensing something below us!" Riolu gasped in surprise, catching the Nuvema boy's attention. "From below us?" Takeru repeated as he looked down, until he spotted a manhole cover up ahead. Pikachu also seemed to have sensed something underground as well as he turned his eyes to the manhole cover, too. The two starters jumped down next to it, catching the others' attention.

"Something wrong with the manhole cover?" Ash asked, as the Nuvema boy frowned. "Riolu said there's something below us, so it has to be underground." Takeru answered, as the group knelt down next to it. "Hey Burgh! Do you know what's under there?" Ash asked, which the Gym Leader knew. "A sewer! It runs from the outskirts of the city to the river!" Burgh answered, pointing ahead.

Then, realizing something, he crossed his arms while frowning. "Hold on... Come to think of it, I remember a Pokémon once wandered from a river into the city through this sewer!" Burgh recalled, catching Ash's attention as he looked down. "Hey, maybe there's something down there!" Ash guessed. "Pi Pikachu!" Pikachu agreed as the Nuvema boy turned to Riolu, who nodded in agreement.

"Then, let's investigate!" Burgh suggested. With everyone in agreement, the group and the Castelia Gym Leader headed down into the sewers where they began their investigation.

**Meanwhile...**

Shade, the Shadow Demon walked around while being hooded and masked as he walked around, searching for something peculiar in the sewers. Ryuu and Chikage searched around themselves too, to see if anything looked strange. "I don't see anything around here... What about you two?" Shade called, turning to his two Pokémon. "Rio... Riolu..." The Aura Pokémon denied with a shake of his head.

"En... En en." The Zorua shook her head, as she didn't know as well. At that moment, Shade's Xtransceiver beeped for a moment, catching the Shadow Demon's attention. He picked it up and began the call. "Pierce? What is it?" Shade asked as his friend began to explain. "Sarah and the others have picked up some strong readings coming from the Desert Resort. We're heading there right now." Pierce explained.

"From the Desert Resort? I thought you said there was something strange coming in here!" Shade asked in confusion as Sarah took over. "You see, Shade... What's coming to Castelia City as coming from the Desert Resort. We'd like you to keep investigating the city while we investigate the Desert Resort. Could you do that for us?" Sarah asked, causing the Shadow Demon to sigh and give in.

"Alright... I'll keep doing my job. Just be careful." Shade called, until Mana came into the screen. "Shade! Are you hurt!?" Mana shrieked, catching the Shadow Demon by surprise. "What the... Mana!? What are you doing there!? Sarah! Pierce! What is the meaning of this!?" Shade yelped as boy Pierce and Sarah sighed together, with the nine year old girl sweat dropping at her actions.

"Well- Huh? Shade... We're picking up something near you." Pierce started, before he gave the signal to the Shadow Demon. "What is it? The problem?" Shade asked, as Sarah denied this with a shake of her head. "No... It's a group of people coming to your way. And some of them are the four kids that you saw earlier when you witnessed that bright light." Sarah explained with a serious look on her face.

"You mean, those four kids? They're coming here?" Shade asked as Pierce nodded. "Yeah... You have to get out of there, Shade! Otherwise, there's a chance that those kids might be suspicious of you and attack!" Pierce reminded, causing the Shadow Demon to sigh. "Alright! I'll be going! I'll still have to investigate the sewers, though..." Shade grunted as he turned the Xtransceiver off to make his way out.

"Ryuu! Chikage! This way! We have to move!" Shade called, calling for his two Pokémon. The two cried out their obedient calls as they ran alongside with their trainer, as they all managed to escape from the group. As they were running, Shade frowned as he sensed a pure aura behind him. "What is this feeling?" Shade asked himself, as he kept on running to exit the sewers. As they were gone, Takeru, Ash, Iris, Cilan, and Burgh were walking alongside the sewers, all searching for something that was peculiar at the moment.

With everyone in the sewers, they all looked around for something strange, the Kanto trainer was the first to notice something weird up ahead. "Look! What's that!?" Ash called, catching everyone's attention as they all saw something moving. It seemed to be a Pokémon, with the head stuck inside the pipe as Ash took out his Pokédex, scanning the unknown struggling Pokémon.

_"Venipede, the Centipede Pokémon. Venipede explores its surroundings by sensing vibrations in the air with feelers on its head and tail."_ Ash's Pokédex buzzed. As the device finished with the specific details, the group, Burgh, and the two starters all ran over to it, to see that the Poison-Bug Type was struggling to get out of the pipe. "Wow... So, it really has an amazing antennae!" Ash said in awe.

"But, what's it doing?" Iris asked in surprise as she noticed the struggling Venipede was trying to do. "It looks like somehow it got its head stuck..." Cilan commented, causing Takeru to frown. "Just how did it get there...?" Takeru asked as he gave a glance at Riolu, who just shrugged, as he didn't know what Venipede was doing, either. Before anyone else could react, Ash started to reach for it.

"Okay... I'll help you out!" Ash called, until he was stopped by Burgh. "Wait! Poison Point is Venipede's ability! Be careful or you could be poisoned!" Burgh warned. This made the Kanto trainer stop, before he hesitated on what he wanted to do. "But... It's so weak... Poor thing..." Ash said, feeling bad for the Centipede Pokémon. "Ash..." The Nuvema boy whispered, before he took a deep breath with a risky decision in his mind.

He glanced at Ash, who caught his eyes. "Huh?" At first, the Kanto trainer didn't know why his Unova friend was staring at him, but a few minutes later, he then understood of what Takeru wanted. At that moment, he released himself from Burgh's grip and began to pull onto Venipede, with Takeru helping him out. "Ash!? Takeru!?" Iris shrieked in surprise as the two boys tried to pull the Cenipede Pokémon out of there.

With some effort, the two managed to pull the Poison-Bug Pokémon out, freeing it from its struggles. Both boys fell back near where the sewer water was as Iris, Cilan, and Birgh all looked at both Ash and a Takeru in concern. "Are you two alright!?" Iris asked, with the Kanto trainer answering first. "Yeah... You bet..." Ash assured as the Nuvema boy got up, dusting himself off.

"A bit startled, but yeah... We're fine." Takeru assured. _"Brother... That was kind of reckless..."_ Riolu pointed out in worry, as the Nuvema boy gave a sheepish smile to his little Pokémon brother. "Well, that reckless action managed to work out, didn't it?" Takeru asked, causing the Emanation Pokémon to sigh in relief as he nodded in agreement. He and Pikachu then turned to see Venipede, who got up and took several steps back.

_"Wait! We're not going to-"_ Riolu didn't get to finish his words as the Centipede Pokémon began to use Screech! The loud noise caused everyone to cover their ears as they cringed by the loud noise. "It's using Screech!" Cilan snapped, as Burgh made his guess. "It thinks we're its enemies!" Burgh grunted as the Kanto trainer tried to stop the Poison-Bug Type from screeching at them.

"Venipede! STOP!" Ash yelled, causing the Centipede Pokémon to stop. As soon as it didn't, it slumped down, moaning in pain. Due to it being stuck in the pipe for a long time, there was a large bruise on its back, causing Takeru to frown, while causing Ash to be concerned for it. "You're hurt! And it's gonna get worse! Now, try and take it easy! I won't hurt you! I just want to help!" Ash explained.

Being hurt by the pipe and frantic about the humans surrounding it, the Venipede seemed to have heard Ash's words, but it didn't quite accept it as its antennae began to shake fast, catching the Nuvema boy's attention along with the others. "Ash, get out of its way! With the antennae shaking, it means it's going to attack!" Takeru warned. "Ash! Please stop!" Iris pleaded, only for the Kanto trainer to ignore those words.

"Come on... We're not gonna hurt you! Don't worry!" Ash assured. But despite the assurance, Venipede still didn't feel safe as he prepared to attack, causing Takeru to grit his teeth and jump for his friend. "Ash, look out!" Takeru yelled as he tried to push the Kanto trainer out of the way, with Venipede attacking at the same time! The Tackle attack bashed into both of Ash and Takeru's forehead, causing them to grunt for a moment.

"Ah!?" Both Iris and Cilan gasped as Burgh widened his eyes in shock. But after a second passed, Ash smiled at the Venipede, earning its trust by taking its attack. It seemed to trusted Takeru too, as the Nuvema boy managed to resist the attack as well. "You see...? Everything's okay! All we want to do is help you! Right?" Ash asked, turning to his Unova friend, who smiled with a sigh.

"I can't make you change your mind, huh...? You're right, Ash... Like he said, all we want to do is help you with your pain." Takeru assured softly, causing Venipede to soften its eyes. _"That's right! My human brother isn't bad at all! He likes helping Pokémon like you and me, for example!" _Riolu assured with a smile on his face. "Pika Pika! Pikachu!" Pikachu added along, as Venipede remained silent for a moment.

Finally, it accepted the humans' and their starters' words as he turned his face to Ash and Takeru, with the Kanto trainer smiling at him with reassurance. "So, we're good?" Ash asked, earning a nod from the Centipede Pokémon. Just then, the Kanto trainer's face turned a little purple, as Takeru began to feel dizzy at the same time. "Hey, Burgh... Venipede's hurt... Can you please... Ugh..." Ash groaned.

He didn't get to finish as he fell down, unconscious due to the effect of Poison Point! "Ash, no!" Iris and Cilan gasped in shock. "Pika Pi!" Pikachu called for his human partner. "Drat... That poison... It must've started to... take effect... on him and me, finally..." Takeru groaned as he fell down next to Ash, causing Iris and Cilan to gasp once more. "Takeru!?" Iris shrieked in shock.

_"Brother!? Brother Takeru!?" _Riolu yelped frantically. "They've been poisoned!" Cilan shouted in shock. "We need an Antidote for both of them!" Iris shrieked as the Connoisseur dug in his bag to check for his medicines. "I think I've got some!" Cilan grunted as Burgh turned to the Centipede Pokémon. "I'll take care of Venipede!" Burgh called as he began tending it to its wounds on its back.

**Later...**

"...Ngh..." Takeru groaned as he felt something in his mouth as he swallowed whatever it was. "This is... the Antidote?" Takeru asked as he opened his eyes to see Cilan in front of him and Ash. He noticed that he and Ash were sitting together with their backs against the wall, with the Kanto trainer's head on his left shoulder. "That's right. Looks like it worked perfectly." Cilan pointed out with a smile.

He then turned to Ash, feeding him a spoonful of the antidote liquid, which seemed to have immediately cured him, as the Kanto trainer quickly recovered from his poison, too. "Mm... Ah... Whoa... Thanks, Cilan. You got us through this." Ash thanked as the Connoisseur smiled again. "I'm glad I could help!" Cilan chuckled. At the same time, Iris sprayed a Potion on the wound on the Centipede Pokémon's back.

Burgh then placed a bandage on it, taking care of its wound for now. "Mm hm... That should do it." Burgh said as the Bug-Poison Type sighed in relief to see that its back was cured now. "That's great. Thank you, Burgh!" Ash thanked, as the Gym Leader smiled with a nod. "Well... It was nothing, but... You two, Ash and Takeru... You two have awed my pure heart! Incredible!" Burgh complimenred happily.

"Oh, um... Thanks, I guess?" Takeru said nervously with Riolu sweat dropping at the Bug Type Gym Leader's words and pose. Iris then took out an Oran Berry and placed it in front of the young Venipede, urging it to eat it up. "Here! This Oran Berry will help you feel a lot better!" Iris assured. Seeing the blue berry in front of it, the Centipede Pokémon began to suck up the juice inside it.

Once all the juice was drained, Venipede sighed happily, feeling fully recovered from his struggles. "You're getting your strength back!" Ash exclaimed as the Centipede Pokémon jumped up happily with the recovery it had. That left Burgh confused with a question in his mind. "But, why would a Venipede stick its head inside the pipe in the first place?" Burgh asked in confusion.

"Don't know... Even I can't think of a reason why it would do something like this..." Takeru admitted, before he heard a sound coming from behind him! Everyone turned to see a colony of Venipede passing their way through the sewers! "It's a Venipede colony!" Cilan pointed out in shock. "Yeah! Look at all of them!" Iris shrieked as the Nuvema boy stood up and narrowed his eyes in confusion.

"But... Why are they all here in the first place?" Takeru asked as Burgh frowned. "Hm... Good question... Venipede lived in the barren lands outside of Castelia City. So, what are they doing here?" Burgh asked, as he was unsure of himself as well. Before anyone else could react, one of the Venipede began to use Screech startling the five humans and the two starters as they covered their ears again.

"That's Screech again!" Cilan grunted in pain. "They're angry about something!" Burgh grunted as well. "Yeah!? But what!?" Ash asked loudly. Everyone kept covering their ears until the Screech had finally stopped. Unfortunately, other Venipede made their attacks, aiming their Sludge Bomb attacks at the group! Everyone yelled in shock as they ducked down to dodge their attacks.

As they did so, some of the Venipede began charging towards them, forcing a retreat order from the Castelia Gym Leader. "Quick! We need to get out, now!" Burgh called. He began to run back to where they started investigating, with Cilan and Iris quickly following behind. "Wait! What about this Venipede!?" Ash called, feeling concerned about the Venipede they had just befriended.

At seeing his hesitance, Takeru grabbed onto Ash's arm with a serious look on his face. "We have to worry about our little friend later! Right now, we just have to run!" Takeru called as he dragged his Kanto friend away from their new Bug Type friend. "Take care, okay!?" Ash called as he ran alongside with his Unova friend. "Veni..." Venipede tried to call for its friends back, only for them to disappear out of its sight.

**Later...**

As soon as everyone got out of the sewers, they all gasped on what they were seeing. Hordes and colonies of Venipede were terrorizing the people of Castelia City! Some pushed on the vehicles, while some attacked the people. Others crawled on the buildings and the trees, making it look like a complete invasion going on. "What... What is this...?" Takeru breathed out in shock as he took a step back.

_"This is... This is just wrong..." _Riolu moaned, feeling worried about the people and the Pokémon that could be attacked by the Venipede colonies! Just then, Officer Jenny drove up to the group with her motorcycle, with Herdier at her side. "Officer Jenny!" Burgh called in surprise. "You must leave! It's dangerous here!" Officer Jenny warned, as Burgh frowned at the situation going on.

"But Officer! Do you know what's going on!?" Burgh asked. "Only that a Venipede colony is swarming the city!" Officer Jenny explained, as the Connoisseur frowned. "Yes, but why!?" Cilan asked, as the officer frowned. "We've got Prof. Juniper working on that!" Officer Jenny explained, much to both Ash and Takeru's surprise. "Prof. Juniper?" Ash repeated in surprise. "Could she know anything about this?" Takeru asked.

"We can only hope." Officer Jenny answered, until they all heard an explosion up ahead! Everyone turned to see a large cloud of smoke coming up ahead as Burgh widened his eyes at where the location could be. "That's near the Pokémon Center!" Burgh pointed out. "Let's check it out!" Ash called. With everyrone agreeing, they all headed to where the Pokémon Center was.

As they all got there, the four trainers all widened their eyes in surprise. The Venipede were all crowding around the Center, all looking like they were prepared to attack! "They're everywhere!" Iris shrieked. "Thousands of them!" Cilan pointed out in surprise. Just then, the Kanto trainer noticed someone familiar as he widened his eyes. "Hey! Look, it's Trip!" Ash said in surprise, catching Takeru's attention.

"What!?" Takeru said in surprise as he noticed his old friend and rival teaming up with some other trainers for battle. "Lampent, let's go!" Trip called as he summoned out a lamp looking Pokémon, freaking the Nuvema boy and his Emanation Pokémon out. "Trip caught another Ghost Type...!?" Takeru groaned as he took out his Pokédex to scan the evolved Fire-Ghost Type Pokémon.

_"Lampent, the Lamp Pokémon. Lampent moves around by floating to the air, most often found in the deep forest. They now can be seen living in cities as well." _Takeru's Pokédex buzzed. As he put the device away, he noticed that other trainers had a Pansear, a Pignite, and a Darmanitan at their sides. "What is Trip doing with those other trainers...?" Takeru started, before he widened his eyes.

"No... Trip!? You can't be planning to-" Takeru gasped in shock, until the Nuvema rival turned to the other trainers with his call. "Listen up, everyone! Let's use Flamethrower!" Trip called. "Right! Flamethrower!" The three trainers yelled together. At the order, all four Fire Types shot their attacks at the crawling Venipede, knocking some of them away! But the others grew angry at this.

With their comrades fallen, some of the Venipede shot their Sludge Bomb attacks, all aiming it at the Center and the four trainers! "Stay strong! Use Flamethrower once again!" Trip yelled, until Ash blocked their way. "Stop it! You can't do that!" Ash protested, earning an annoyed grunt from his rival. "Ugh... Out of my way! I don't have time to deal with you now!" Trip demanded.

"That's enough, Trip! You're going way too far!" Takeru added, catching Trip by surprise as he noticed his old friend supporting the Kanto trainer. "Takeru? You too!? Why are you siding with him!?" Trip snapped. "Do you have any idea what you're doing!? If you keep attacking them this way, they'll just retaliate with their angry attacks! You can't win this way!" Takeru snapped angrily.

"What!? What do you-" Trip started, only for Ash to interrupt him. "Why are you attacking the Venipede, Trip!?" Ash snapped. "Because they're attacking us for no reason at all! The only thing we can do is stop them!" Trip answered roughly. "You're wrong about them having no reason to attack, Trip! Can't you just see they were angry about something!?" Takeru retorted, causing his old friend to frown.

"That's right! Look, right now, Prof. Juniper is trying to figure out what's really happening! So, knock it off!" Ash agreed, only to get a bored sigh from his rival. "So naive... Ash, for your information, this isn't the Kanto region boonies, see?" Trip scoffed, much to Ash's annoyance. "What was that!?" Ash snapped in anger. "Pika!?" Pikachu snapped along. "Shut it, Trip! Just stop already! You're only going to make things worse!" Takeru snapped.

"Again, why are you siding with the ones coming from the boonies!? He's only going to slow you down if you just spoil him, Takeru!" Trip retorted, earning another angry glare from Ash. "What did you say!?" "Pika Pika!" Both Ash and Pikachu felt insulted at this, as the Nuvema boy gritted his teeth, not believing that his old friend would say something like this to him and about his Kanto friend.

"Just get out of the way! Everyone! Keep on using Flamethrower!" Trip called. "Right!" The other trainers agreed. They all ordered a Flamethrower attack towards the Venipede, ignoring Ash's pleas to stop. "STOP! Don't do it!" Ash yelled desperately. But just as the four Fire Type attacks looked like they were about to hit, a blue, glowing shield blocked all of them, negating their powers to burn.

"What the!?" "Huh!?" While Trip was shocked with the sudden shield, Ash widened his eyes in surprise to see a familiar power protecting the Venipede. Iris and Cilan ran over just in time to see the shield disappearing. "What... was that?" Iris asked in surprise. "That was... aura." Ash answered in shock, catching Takeru, Iris, and Cilan's attention. "Aura?" Takeru repeated in shock.

Just before anyone else could react, everyone could hear a whistling (Kite Tenjo's Japanese whistling) from a person up ahead. They all turned their attentions to see a hooded and masked teen coming to their way with two Pokémon at his side. On his left was a Riolu with a black scarf with a dragon symbol on it. On his right was a Zorua that had a indigo scarf wrapped around its neck.

"What...? Who is that?" Ash asked in confusion. "I don't know... I never seen a person like him before..." Cilan admitted. The teen had a black hooded trench coat with white trim, white shirt, black BDU pants and fingerless gloves. He also wore black boots and a half face mask with fang-like smile on his face. "Who is that?" Takeru asked in surprise. Trip widened his eyes in shock as he knew who that person was.

"It's him... The Shadow Demon!" Trip grunted angrily, catching Ash by surprise. "Shadow Demon...?" Ash repeated in confusion. "Yeah... I met him once during my journey here in Castelia City... We had a battle once, but... His Pokémon's power... They were completely unbelievable... I didn't stand a chance against that guy!" Trip hissed angrily. That left the Nuvema boy surprised.

This Shadow Demon was able to defeat Trip so easily? _"That could only mean... he's really strong..."_ Takeru whispered under his breath. "You! What do you want!?" Trip snapped as the other trainers prepared themselves for a battle. Shade didn't answer as he merely scoffed at facing Trip. "You again, huh? Ryuu, Aura Sphere! And Chikage, Night Daze!" Shade yelled, pointing at the three trainers and Trip.

"What!?" Trip gasped as the double attacks blasted all four Fire Types away, knocking Darmanitan, Pansear, and Pignite, while Lampent managed to hold on a little. "Lampent, no!" Trip called as Ash turned to the Shadow Demon. "Alright, who are you!? Any why are you attacking us!?" Ash snapped. Before Shade could answer, one of the Venipede shot a Sludge Bomb attack from behind.

"Ah! Look out!" Iris gasped. But suddenly, the Sludge Bonb stopped in its tracks, as a shadow surrounded Shade on his feet. The shadows caught the Sludge Bomb's shadow, negating it at the same time. "What... did he just do?!" One trainer asked in shock. "He didn't do anything, except that attack suddenly stopped!" The second trainer gasped along as Shade scoffed with a smirk under his mask.

"Oh, I did SOMETHING, of course." Shade assured, catching everyone by surprise. "What is he talking about?" Cilan asked. "He... He manipulated the shadows..." Takeru whispered, catching the others' attention. "Manipulated the shadows? What are you talking about, Takeru?" Iris asked as the Shadow Demon laughed. "Wow... I didn't think anyone would notice my powers to see me manipulate the darkness and the shadow..." Shade admitted.

"What!?" "Huh!?" Ash and Iris gasped, while Trip widened his eyes. "Just... Who are you?" Takeru asked, feeling frightened of the boy or something. "Heh... I am a whisper, a shadow, by the time you realize that I'm here, it's too late and I'm already gone." Shade explained, leaving the Nuvema boy confused. "What...?" Takeru whispered in shock as someone came, interrupting their conversation.

"What is going on in here!? It's imperative that we act quickly in this case!" A man boomed out angrily, scolding the trainers. Everyone turned to see a serious man coming out towards them with Officer Jenny recognizing the man. "The mayor!" Officer Jenny said in surprise. "Otherwise, the Venupede will bring this city to its knees, the more you boys keep this up!" The mayor scolded again.

"But...!" Ash started, only to be interrupted again. "Their poison also poses as a great threat! Citizen safety is my prime concern! The Venipede must all be removed!" The mayor declared, much to Takeru's shock. "Y-You can't be serious of suggesting that, can you, sir!?" Takeru panicked. Before the mayor could speak, Shade stepped up besides Takeru, taking his hood and mask off with his explanation.

"Mr. Mayor, if you attempt to strike and remove those Venipede by force, they will only retaliate by attacking back with all their strength! Don't you see? Your method of saving the city will only cause more chaos and pain to the people here and the Pokémon, including those Venipede at the same time! They can't be done by force!" Shade explained, catching everyone by surprise.

"And who are you, son?" The mayor asked. "My name is Shade Noctis, also known as the Shadow Demon, and the leader of the Dire Wolves, sir." Shade explained, catching everyone by surprise. "The Dire Wolves...? You mean that young group organization that protects the Unova region? There were many reports of your organization helping the police out to protect peace in Unova." Officer Jenny asked.

"That's correct, officer." Shade confirmed as the mayor frowned at Shade's serious explanation. "Well? Do you have a better idea?" The mayor asked as Burgh made his suggestion. "We can gather the Venipede at Central Plaza and keep them there! While we figure out the cause of their migration!" Burgh explained, as the mayor frowned, trying to think whether if it was a good idea or not.

That was when Officer Jenny gave the news to the mayor about the Unova Professor's work. "Your honor, Prof. Juniper is working on exactly that as we speak!" Officer Jenny explained. At that moment, Takeru, Ash, Iris, and Cilan made their requests to him. "Mr. Mayor! Won't you please!?" The group pleaded together. "Pika Pika!" "Please, Mr. Mayor!" Both Pikachu and Riolu pleaded along.

Unsure of this, the mayor had another question about the plan. "But, how are you planning to get them to Central Plaza?" The mayor asked. "We find their leader first! The Venipede are sure to follow their leader! Trust me!" Burgh assured, causing the mayor to smile in approval as he agreed to this plan. "Oh... I see! Alright then! Let's give your plan a shot!" The mayor declared.

"That's great!" "Pika!" "Yeah!" The group and their two starters cried out their joy. Trip on the other hand, didn't seem so happy about this decision as he glared at Shade for his actions before. "Hold on! How can we be sure to trust you, Shadow Demon, especially since you attacked us out of nowhere!?" Trip protested as the Shadow Demon glared at him with his own answer and explanation.

"My group is also a group that cares for Pokémon that are abused, such as you abusing those Venipede without even thinking of their reason of attacking." Shade said coldly, leaving Trip to grit his teeth. "What!? Abuse!? I never-" Trip started as the mayor cleared his throat, stopping Trip from continuing on. "Ahem... As I was saying, let's give your plan a shot, Burgh!" The mayor repeated again.

"However... If you're not able to gather them in Central Plaza, I'll be forced to remove them! Agreed!?" The mayor declared, with Burgh agreeing. "Agreed! We'll search for their leader immediately! Cilan, would you please go get Nurse Joy for us? We'll need Audino!" Burgh explained, as the Striaton Gym Leader nodded in understanding. "My pleasure!" Cilan said as he ran to the Pokémon Center.

"Alright then! Let's go! Shade, can you come with us?" Burgh asked, turning to the leader of the Dire Wolves, as Shade smiled before putting his half face mask on. "Alright." Shade agreed as he glanced at both Ryuu and Chikage, as the two nodded in understanding. So, with that agreed, the Castelia Gym Leader lead the way, with Ash, Iris, Takeru, and Shade following behind.

As they left, Trip found himself gritting his teeth with annoyance as he narrowed his eyes to what Burgh had said earlier. "The leader of the Venipede..." Trip whispered as he made up a plan for himself to stop this invasion.

To be continued...

* * *

**Takeru's Team:**

**Riolu: (M): (Aura Sphere, Blaze Kick, ThunderPunch, Dig)**

**Deino: (M): (Dragon Rage, Headbutt, Bite, Incinerate)**

**Tranquill: (M): (Air Cutter, Gust, Roost, Aerial Ace)**

**Tepig: (M): (Flamethrower, Smog, Flame Charge, Rollout)**

**Zorua: (F): (Scratch, Leer, Pursuit, ?)**

**Darmanitan: (M): (Psychic, Bulk Up, Fire Punch, Flamethrower)**

With Prof. Juniper:

**Petilil: (F): (Magical Leaf, Stun Spore, Mega Drain, Sleep Powder)**

**Joltik: (M): (Electro Ball, Electroweb, String Shot, Signal Beam)**

Next chapters:

**Chapter 44: Settle Down, Venipede! Case Closed!?**

**Chapter 45: Team Rocket VS Team Plasma! Pt. 1**

**Chapter 46: Team Rocket VS Team Plasma! Pt. 2**

**Chapter 47: Aura VS Art! Takeru's Promise!**

**Chapter 48: Swadloon VS Leavanny! Ash's Art!**

**Next chapter preview:**

Shade: I care about Pokémon, just like the rest of you do. That's why I'm here to help you guys with the Venipede.

Takeru: Just who are you? The way you manipulate shadows... Are you somehow, like different... The same as me?

Burgh: We must gather all the Venipede towards Central Plaza, so that they and all the people in Castelia City can be safe!

Trip: I couldn't care less about your reasons! The end result is what counts! And I'm planning to make those results!

Ash: Just stop it, Trip! This isn't your city and this isn't your decision to make for the Venipede!

Shade: Are you another abuser? Because you won't like it when I'm angry, you know?


	44. Case Closed! Settle Down, Venipede!

**Chapter 44: Case Closed! Settle Down, Venipede!**

Last time on "Pokémon Unova Journey", on a small house, a girl named Mana was thinking about the past and on how she joined the Dire Wolves, with Pierce reminding her of the time she had spent with him, Shade, and Sarah as Pierce explains about the current mission Shade was on at the moment. That was when Sarah came in, explaining about the energy source coming from the Desert Resort.

With Mana joining the two, the three left on a helicopter to leave for the Desert Resort. Before they had left however, Mana breoefly mentions one of her two elder brother's name: Takeru. He was currently now in Castelia City, arriving with Ash, Iris, and Cilan to have his third Gym battle with Burgh. But just as they got there, they met Burgh, who was investigating the problems he believe that is going on.

Shade on the other hand, received orders from Pierce and Sarah to investigate Castelia City more, as he took off with Ryuu and Chikage, knowing that the four trainers and Burgh have arrived with his comrades' warning. While he left, the group noticed a wild Venipede trapped inside a pipe, causing both Ash and Takeru to pull it out and befriend, while causing them to be both poisoned as well.

As the befriending work, the group discovered a whole group of Venipede terrorizing the city for an unknown reason as they met up with Trip, who attacked the Venipede with the other trainers, only for them to be stopped by Shade, who revealed himself as the leader of the Dire Wolves organization. He volunteeered to help the group and Officer Jenny to gather all the Venipede towards Central Plaza, under Burgh's suggestion.

With the agreement settled, the Dire Wolves leader joined Ash, Iris, Takeru, and Burgh to find the leader of the Venipede, while Cilan is to request Nurse Joy for some assistance. Trip on the other hand, looked like he wasn't about to believe that the idea of gathering the Venipede was going to work.

* * *

**Back at Prof. Juniper's Laboratory...**

"Prof. Juniper! We've received data on from the Unova Star Satellite!" One of the assistants called to the Unova Professor. He searched the data of where the satellite has received the energy and the data from. It showed the precise location where it was coming from, as it showed the Desert Resort. Prof. Juniper turned to see the Resort as the assistant made a question to her.

"But Professor, I'm confused. Why do we need THAT data to figure out the cause of the Venipede's mass migration?" The assistant asked. "It's simple. Normally, Venipede would dig underground tunnels and nest there. But with this mass migration, there may have been some sort of mass radical underground change." Prof. Juniper explained, as she watched the Venipede horde moving underground.

**Back at Castelia City...**

Takeru, Ash, Iris, Shade, and Burgh all ran to find the leader of the Venipede, with Shade having his mask on again. While they were running, the Nuvema boy gave a strange look at the Dire Wolves leader, suspicious and confused about him. _"The way he used his powers to stop a Pokémon's attack... He used that shadow to block it... But how?" _Takeru thought suspiciously, biting his lips.

Apparently, it looked as though Shade heard his questions in thought, as he turned his masked face to Takeru, before making his words. "If you have some questions for me, save it after the case is over. I don't have the time to answer your questions right now, kid." Shade reminded, catching the Nuvema boy by surprise, before he slowly nodded and kept on running with others.

"Hey! Burgh! Any idea on how we're going to find the Venipede leader!?" Ash called, as the Gym Leader made his answer. "The fact is, many wild Pokémon are constantly under threat. So the Pokémon that usually senses danger the quickest usually becomes their leader." Burgh explained as the five stopped on a crossroad. They looked around, with the Gym Leader continuing with his explanation.

"And usually, the leader will be perched somewhere, where they can keep an eye out for a whole colony." Burgh explained as he kept his eyes out, too. As everyone looked, both Ryuu and Riolu caught their trainers' attention, by tugging onto their pants. "Rio. Ri. Rio." Ryuu called._ "Brother! Up there! There's that big one at the top of that building!" _Riolu cried out in surprise.

Both Shade and Takeru quickly looked up to notice one of the Venipede perched at the top of a building, looking bigger than all the other ones. "Could that be the leader up there...?" Takeru asked in surprise. Ash, Iris, and Burgh all turned their attention at the top of the building, where they saw the big Venipede. "Yeah! And that Venipde is bigger than the others!" Ash said in amazement.

Shade remained cautious, knowing that a leader of the Pokémon group won't trust humans or strangers that easily. He turned to both his Riolu and Zorua, with the two nodding as they knew what they had to do, in case of an attack. The Castelia Gym Leader on the other hand, looked calm as he smiled, before motioning his finger at the leader of the Venipede to come down.

"Another reason to be their leader! And if in fact we're right about this, it will make its way and battle anyone who approaches!" Burgh explained, as the leader caught the wagging finger, causing it to glare and hiss at the humans below it. The giant leader jumped down, confronting the humans and the stranger Pokémon, as Burgh approached it with care and assurance for no danger.

"You're their leader! You should know that you're all in danger if you stay. You must follow me!" Burgh pleaded, only for his request to be turned down in a hostile way! The Venipede leader shot a Sludge Bomb attack at Burgh, shocking Ash, Takeru, and Iris in the process. But as Burgh dodged, the Sludge Bomb attack never came to him as it was blocked by an aura barrier, created by Shade.

"Be careful with that... You should know that it won't listen to you that easily." Shade warned sternly, as the Gym Leader smiled. "Yes, thank you. But I'm well aware of that." Burgh assured, before he turned to Venipede again. "Please, calm down, Veni-" Burgh started, only for a voice to interfere! "Lampent! Flamethrower, now!" Trip yelled, aiming for the Venipede leader. Everyone turned in surprise to see Trip attacking!

The Ghost-Fire Type blasted some hot flames at Venipede, who jumped out of the air, before hissing at its new enemy. While Trip was irritated, both Ash and Takeru tried to stop their rival from attacking. "Come on, Trip! Knock it off!" Ash yelled as a Sludge Bomb attack was launched, as Trip kept fighting on! "Dodge it!" Trip yelled as the Poison Type attack missed the evolved Ghost Type.

"Stop it already! You're going to make things worse if you attack like this!" Takeru snapped, his fists crackling a little with electricity. "If we can stop their leader, we'll break up the colony and get rid of them! It's a no-brainer!" Trip retorted, as Iris stepped up, siding with her two friends. "Well, this isn't up to you!" Iris shrieked as the Kanto trainer tried to reason with his rival once more.

"We agreed as long as we move them to Central Plaza, they won't be attacked!" Ash explained, only for the rival to scoff at the idea. "It's useless! The Venipede leader has no interest in you! Take out that Pokémon now, Lampent!" Trip yelled. "NO!" "TRIP!?" Ash and Takeru yelled together until something went past them! Before Lampent could launch Shadow Ball, Chikage bashed the Ghost Type away!

"That was Punishment!" Iris gasped as she, Ash, Takeru, and Burgh turned to Shade, who looked clearly pissed right now, as it was showed his teeth gritting. "That was a waste of time..." Trip scoffed angrily, as Shade took a step, facing Trip with annoyance. "You stay out of this, you little brat. We don't have time to listen to your weak explanation or you getting in our way!" Shade hissed with slight annoyance.

Ryuu and Chikage prepared to attack again, as Trip gritted his teeth with annoyance. "I don't see any reason why I should go along with your words! You're one to talk especially with the things you've done in the past with your little group, Shadow Demon!" Trip retorted, leaving Ash confused with Shade. "In the past...? What do you mean, Trip!?" Ash demanded, until Takeru held him back.

"Save it for later, Ash. We have to get the leader to listen to us!" Takeru reminded, with Riolu chirping in agreement. _"Right. We can't deal with Trip as of right now. Saving the city is more important!" _Riolu reminded with a serious look on his face. But then, before the Kanto trainer could argue back, a familiar Venipede approached the angry leader, catching his attention, along with Iris and Takeru's.

Pikachu and Riolu both blinked in surprise to see their little friend, too. It was the same Venipede that they've helped at the sewers! When the leader looked like he was about to attack, the little one convinced the leader that the humans it made friends with were not enemies at all. It then crawled over to Ash and Takeru, looking at them both in concern. "I know you...!" Ash said in surprise.

"Ven? Venipede Ven?" The little one asked in concern before the Nuvema boy knelt down with a soft smile on his face. "Yeah... We're fine. Nothing bad." Takeru assured, as the Kanto trainer nodded in agreement. He placed a hand on Takeru's left shoulder, before he turned to Trip, once again trying to convince him that the Venipede were not their enemies, but the victims to this mess.

"You see, Trip!? The truth is, these Venipede are really nice Pokémon! That means, there has to be a reason to why they're so angry!" Ash explained, only for the rival to be unamused with the small explanation. "I couldn't care less about your reasons! The end result is what counts!" Trip snapped, until Shade stopped him. "The reasons is what makes the end result, kid. Not the other way around." Shade said calmly.

"Say that again...!?" Trio demanded angrily, until Burgh stepped up. "What he's saying Trip, is that you don't have the right to stop them!" Burgh explained, as this left the boy bewildered at this. "Huh...?" is what only he could say at the moment, before Burgh explained. "The honesty of our pure hearts carrying purpose haven't been fully realized as of yet!" Burgh explained calmly.

"He's right!" Iris piped up in agreement. "Give us a chance!" Ash requested. Trip only glared at the group, as if he didn't want to listen to them and take the leader out. But that was when Takeru spoke up. "Trip... If we do things your way, then the end results will become a disaster! Like Shade said, if we attack ruthlessly, they'll attack back the same way, but while putting the people and Pokémon in danger as well!" Takeru explained.

"Do you really think that attacking them ruthlessly is the best way for peace of this city? Do you really believe something like that!?" Takeru inquired desperately. At the reminder and the serious question, Trip was speechless, as he could only stutter at his childhood friend's words. Before he could make a sound or an answer, Cilan came by, running with Nurse Joy and Audino at his side.

"Burgh! I found Nurse Joy and Audino, and brought them with me!" Cilan explained, as Gakeru smiled. "Great! Just in time, Cilan!" Takeru said as he turned to see Trip return his still injured Ghost Type back in its Pokéball. "Tch... Fine. Go knock yourselves out. Even with your explanation, I know what the results will be." Trip sighed, before he walked away coolly, causing Iris to feel irritated.

"What's up with him?" Iris asked annoyingly, before Shade blocked her from confronting him. "Leave him be. At least we know that he won't get in our way anymore." Shade reminded sternly, causing Iris to stop. "R-Right..." Iris agreed, as Ash just smiled, seeing that his rival decided to leave the rest to him and the others. Burgh turned to make a request to the nurse and her Audino.

"Nurse Joy! May we please use Audino's Heal Pulse to calm down the agitated Venipede?" Burgh asked, with the nurse nodding with a smile. "Of course! Audino? Use Heal Pulse!" Nurse Joy called. At the order, the nurse's assistant released a pink soothing aura around her, affecting the Venipede's behavior, as they began to relax and sigh happily, due to the aura that surrounded them.

Once the Venipede have calmed down, Burgh held up some sort of thick flute, which seemed to be for Bug Types as he called to the Bug-Poison Types. "Alright, Venipede! Won't you please follow my lead?" Burgh requested as he blew on his flute. At the sound of the flute, everyone was amazed as some of the Venipede looked like they were being attracted by the flute! "A Bug Flute!" Cilan pointed out in surprise.

At the music soothing their feelings, Burgh began to move, causing the Venipede to follow as they headed for the Central Plaza, much to Iris' amazement. "That's amazing!" Iris exclaimed happily. Shade smiled a bit, folding his arms. "As expected for the Gym Leader of Castelia City, who's an expert on Bug Types." Shade said, causing Takeru to glance at the half-masked leader.

He shook his head in disbelief, before he turned his eyes back to Burgh attracting the leader and the befriended Venipede with his soothing music. "Lead them over to Central Plaza! In the meantime, perhaps you could round up any Venipede stragglers!" Burgh requested, as he walked off again, continuing his music. "Right!" Takeru, Ash, Cilan, and Iris said in unison, as they all prepared to round up some other Venipede.

"And we'll help, too!" Nurse Joy declared. "Audino!" Audino cried out in agreement. "Ryuu. Chikage. Let's go." Shade called, turning to his two main Pokémon. Both the Tricky Fox and the Emanation Pokémon nodded as they ran with their human friend, passing Takeru and Riolu in the process, to find some more Venipedes. As the leader of the Dire Wolves passed him, a tingling sensation came to Takeru's mind.

At the feeling, the Nuvema boy widened his eyes, before turning to see Shade running off to another part of the city. _"What was that feeling just now... Just now... I felt all excited, but sad at the same time."_ Takeru thought deeply, frowning at the half-masked boy, until Riolu tugged on his jeans, catching his attention._ "Brother, are you alright?"_ Riolu barked out loud, as Takeru blinked at the question.

"Yeah... I'm fine." Takeru assured with a smile. The Emanation Pokémon first accepted the answer, but felt doubtful of his human brother's true feelings. He shook the doubtful feelings off, as the four trainers looked around to find some Venipede that weren't following Burgh and their leader. Ash and Pikachu found a few in a dark alley, causing the Kanto trainer to take action.

"There's a few! Pidove, I choose you!" Ash called, as he summoned his Tiny Pigeon Pokémon. "Pidove Dove Dove!" The female Flying Type chirped, before she noticed the wild Venipede. "Use Gust and get those Venipede to join us!" Ash called. Following his command, Pidove flew towards the four Venipede, before she blew them off with her Gust attack, forcing the Venipede to join their moving colony.

At seeing the Venipede join the march, the Kanto trainer grinned at their first success. "Awesome! Great job!" Ash complimented. The Tiny Pigeon Pokémon flew down happily, chirping in thanks.

At another area, Iris arrived at a top of the building, where she found lots of Venipede, settling on the roof. Axew jumped out of he hair, as the two prepared to force the Venipede to join their colony. "You ready? Use Dragon Rage!" Iris called. Charging up his energy, the young Tusk Pokémon began to release the energy inside him, to create a glowing ball of light inside him!

When it was completely charged, he prepared to launch it at the sleeping Venipede, only for him to close his mouth too early!

**KABOOM!**

The explosion from the Dragon Rage self-destruction occurred, damaging both Iris and Axew in the process, while startling the Venipede at the same time. As the smoke cleared, the wild girl laughed nervously at another failure, before sighing. "Mm hm hm... Well, you tried..." Iris said nervously. The Tusk Pokémon could only respond by puffing out smoke from his mouth.

But, due to the explosion, the Venipede that slept were now scurrying down the building to join their moving colony! At seeing their success, the two smiled at each other before giving each other a fist bump. "We did it!" "Axew ew!" Iris cheered, as Axew cheered as well.

**To Cilan...**

At another area, Cilan and Pansage dealt with the Venipede that noticed them! They charged in to attack as Cilan made the order at the right time. "Pansage! Use Bullet Seed!... But, just to spice things up!" Cilan called, before making it a calm order. Understanding to be smooth, Pansage slowly spit out a few Bullet Seeds, causing the Venipede to slip! They flailed a little, before they joined their colony to Central Plaza.

**To Nurse Joy...**

Two Venipedes were pushing each other angrily, looking like they were determined to see which was the strongest, until the nurse and her Audino arrived, making their move. "Audino! Heal Pulse, let's go!" Nurse Joy cried. Once again, the Hearing Pokémon created a pink aura, before spreading it on the two Bug Types, causing the two Venipede to smile happily at each other, before they joined their colony.

**To Takeru...**

At a tree up ahead, the Nuvema boy and his Emanation Pokémon spotted a few settling on a tree, as the two made their action. "Okay, Riolu! Let's do this right! Use Aura Sphere!" Takeru called. _"Right! With minimum power!" _Riolu barked as he created a small blue ball of light, before he launched it at the Venipede, startling them before they were knocked to the ground.

They shook their heads before joining their moving colony. "Now that's what I call a piece of success!" Takeru smirked. _"There's just a few more to go!" _Riolu said happily, as he noticed that the number of the Venipede on the buildings and the streets were disappearing, due to their hard work, along with the others.

**To Shade...**

"Chikage! Night Daze! And Ryuu! Aura Sphere!" Shade called, pointing at a bunch of Venipede blocking their way. His two main Pokémon nodded as they launched their attacks at the Venipede, but with a little of their power. The two combined attacks exploded in front of the Venipede, as this was enough to make them join their moving colony.

"Good... The progress is going well." Shade said, before he gave a small smile.

**Back to Ash...**

"There! Pidove, get them back to the group!" Ash called, pointing to some at a market roof. But when Pidove flew over to strike at the Venipede, one shot back with a Sludge Bomb attack! Pidove chirped in fear, as the Kanto trainer gasped in surprise. "Ah!" Ash gasped. Before he could call for a counterattack, another person stepped in, saving his Tiny Pigeon Pokémon in time. "Use Air Cutter!" Trip yelled.

At the order, Tranquill flew up, launching an Air Cutter attack at the Sludge Bomb, creating a small explosion, which knocked Pidove away. "Pidove, no!" Ash gasped, before he cauhgt his shocked Flying Type. He quickly turned to see his Unova rival attacking the Venipede with his evolved Flying Type, but in the same way Takeru and the others were doing!

"Quick, Tranquill! Scare them away with Air Cutter! Get them to join the group!" Trip called, pointing at the Venipede. At the order, the evolved Flying Type flew to them, before sending another Air Cutter at the Venipede, forcing them to join their colony, much to Ash's amazement. "Alright, Trip!" Ash exclaimed, until his rival gave a glance at him, explaining his reason for being here.

"I wasn't doing this for you... I was doing it because of what HE said before." Trip scoffed, catching the Kanto trainer by surprise. "He? You mean, Takeru?" Ash asked, as the rival gave no response. Ash took this as a yes, before he grinned, seeing that Trip was following his childhood friend's words. "Alright, Pidove! Use Gust!" Ash called, pointing to the Venipedes up ahead.

Pidove nodded as she had recovered from her shock. She flew over, sending powerful winds of gust, which the Venipede resisted for a moment, until they were blown away by the super effective attack. Startled by the powerful wind, they ran off, joining with their colony. At the success, Pidove sighed in relief, before she blinked in surprise! A bright light surrounded her body, as Ash knew what this meant.

"Pidove's evolving!" Ash exclaimed. As he watched, the little Pidove he knew grew bigger, with the wings growing bigger as well. What was Pidove became a Tranquill! "It's Tranquill!" Ash said excitedly. He took out his Pokédex and scanned his first and newly evolved Unova Pokémon.

_"Tranquill, the Wild Pigeon Pokémon, and the evolved form of Pidove. __Tranquill, the Wild Pigeon Pokémon, and the evolved form of Pidove. Tranquill is always able to return to its Trainer no matter how far the distance between them." _Ash's Pokédex buzzed. "Alright, Tranquill! Use Gust and get those separate Venipedes to join the group!" Ash yelled, pointing at the remaining Venipedes left.

At the command, Tranquill let out a loud chirp, before she blew a more powerful Gust at the Venipede, knocking some of them back as they scurried to join their moving group. Trip joined in, commanding Tranquill to do the same with the others. "Use Aerial Ace!" Trip yelled. His Wild Pigeon Pokémon flew down, startling the Venipede with the swift attack, as they also joined up with their colony.

At the success once again, Ash turned to Trip, giving him a happy grin, until his rival just brushed it away with a scoff.

**Back at Prof. Juniper's Laboratory...**

"Prof. Juniper! We have detected an unknown energy flow!" The assistant cried out as the Unova Professor frowned. "Trace it back to its source!" Prof. Juniper ordered. "Right!" The assistant called as he and the others traced the energy flow to where it was coming from. It seemed to be coming from a huge area of Unova, as the assistant explained the news to the Unova Professor.

"Professor! A second energy source had been detected at the Desert Resort! The two energy sources are merging! And the energy sources are off the chart!" The assistant called, pointing at the area where the Desert Resort was. As the assistant said, there were lots of energy sources going to one location, which left the Unova Professor shocked at the news. "Now what...?" Prof. Juniper asked in surprise.

She then turned to the conclusion, as she knew something serious was about to happen. "Something of major proportions is happening at the Desert Resort!" Prof. Juniper explained, as the assistants watched in bewilderment. If this was something major as the Professor had said, then this was something that no one could ignore.

**At the Dire Wolves' helicopter...**

Pierce, Sarah, and Mana still had their masks on as Sarah drove the helicopter, while Pierce watched for any signs of high leveled energy coming from Castelia City or the Desert Resort. They were approaching Castelia City, when Pierce noticed something shocking from the city's Central Plaza. "What in the world...?" Pierce asked in surprise, catching Sarah's attention as she turned to him.

"What's wrong?" Sarah asked. Pierce at first didn't answer, until he turned on his Xtransceiver and dialed Shade's number. "There are a bunch of Venipede crowding around the Central Plaza... Did Shade and some other trainers did this?" Pierce answered, before asking until his question was answered. "That's right, Pierce! You catch on pretty quickly!" Shade exclaimed sarcastically, before chuckling.

Mana ran over to see her friend smiling under his half-mask. "Shade. What's your current status there?" Sarah asked. "Nothing bad. The problem of the Venipede colony has been solved. They were all moved to the Central Plaza, under the suggestion of Burgh, the Castelia Vity Gym Leader." Shade explained, leaving the three Dire Wolves members surprised, while amazed at the same time.

"That's amazing, Shade! Who helped you? Was it the Gym Leader?" Mana asked eagerly as Shade smirked. "Yeah. And it's not just him. There were five kids, too. One had a hat with a Pikachu. A girl had an Axew in her hair. The third was one of the Striaton City Gym Leaders. The fourth was the stubborn and annoying one. And the fifth was..." Shade started, before he sighed, leaving the nine year old girl worried.

"The fifth was...? Who was it, Shade?" Mana asked, confused. "It was your brother, Mana. Takeru Yamada and his Riolu." Shade answered seriously, leaving his comrades shocked at the news. "My... My brother? Big brother Takeru? But... But..." Mana was so shocked that she could only stutter, especially when she discovered that her brother was helping out Shade on his mission.

"Mana... I thought you said that your brother was one of the people that liked to stay in his home, right?" Pierce asked, as the young girl nodded. "Mm hm..." Mana responded with a nod. Sarah smiled in amusement, before she made her conclusion about the Nuvema boy. "Perhaps he changed his mind about staying and made new friends in his journey." Sarah guessed, leaving Mana to blink.

"Do you... think so?" Mana asked. "Well... With the way Shade explained him, that's the only reason I can think of about." Sarah answered, as Mana remained silent, before tears welled up in her eyes. The Shadow Demon noticed the welling tears as he looked closer at his Xtransceiver screen. "Mana? You okay...?" Shade asked in concern, causing the nine year old girl to nod in response.

"Mm hm... It's just that... I'm happy... Just happy, that's all." Mana said readily, before she wiped her tears away, leaving only a smile on her face. Shade just smiled back, before he sighed. "I have to get going. Tell me when something is up, alright? You guys are headed for the Desert Resort, correct? I'll catch up with you guys there if I could." Shade asked, as Sarah nodded in confirmation.

"Alright then... We're almost there, to the Desert Resort. When you have time, try to catch up to us, Shade." Sarah answered. "Right." Shade said before he ended the call. As soon as the call ended, Mana had a small streak of tear running down from her left eye, despite of the mask covering her eyes only. "Brother..." Mana whispered happily before she wiped the small tear away.

Both Sarah and Pierce watched her, before they smiled together as they continued to set course for the Desert Resort, where their real mission would begin.

**Back at Castelia City...**

"All the Venipede stragglers have been safely gathered in Central Plaza!" Officer Jenny explained, much to Ash's joy for his little friend. "That's great! It's a good thing you all got here in one piece!" Ash chuckled. "Ven! Venipede!" The befriended Venipede cried out in agreement. "Pikachu!" Pikachu said, feeling happy for his Bug Type friend, too. Takeru watched as his Kanto friend talked with Venipede, before he sighed in relief.

"I didn't think it would take this long to gather them here..." Takeru admitted, with Riolu smirking. _"That's because we were gathering the whole colony, brother..."_ Riolu chuckled as Takeru smiled back. "Yeah... I'm aware of that, too, Riolu." Takeru chuckled, as he rubbed his Emanation Pokémon's furry head, causing Riolu to giggle in the process. _"S-Stop that, big bro..." _Riolu protested playfully.

The two didn't notice Shade watching them from under his mask as he gave a soft smile to the two, seeing a strong bond between them. He had just finished his call with his teammates when he turned to see the two bonding with each other. He turned to both Chikage and Ryuu, as the two smiled softly in agreement, as they have noticed the bond between the Nuvema boy and his Fighting Type partner.

"We can rest easy now! And Burgh! Excellent work!" The mayor said, complimenting the Bug Type user. "Thanks! But they're the ones that deserves to be praised." Burgh explained, gesturing to Takeru, Ash, Shade, Iris, Trip, and Cilan. At this, Ash smiled, before saying his words. "No, you do! We just did what you told us to do!" Ash explained with a grin.

"We knew that it was the right thing!" Cilan explained, as Iris nodded in agreement. "It sure was!" Iris agreed happily. Both Takeru and Shade nodded in agreement as the mayor could only smile for their words and for their brave actions. "Thank you! You did great work! I'm truly grateful!" The mayor explained with a smile. As they were thanked, the Kanto trainer noticed his Unova rival leaving.

"Huh? Hey, Trip! Where are you going?" Ash asked, as Trip stopped to answer. "To the next town." Trip answered, leaving Ash confused with the answer. "But, what about your Gym battle?" Ash asked, as Trip glanced with a smirk. "It looks like it's going to be a while before this is all sorted out. So, instead of staying here, wasting my time, I'll go to another Gym." Trip answered, causing Iris to sigh.

"Oh boy..." Iris grumbled, as Cilan only smirked. "I sense a bit of bitter aftertaste! You could say that that's part of Trip's recipe!" Cilan chuckled, as the Nuvema boy only smiled at his childhood friend. "That's just like you, Trip. Not wasting any time to leave when you think there's no reason to stay here." Takeru said, as Trip just glanced back with a small smirk on his face.

"You can say that again... Takeru." Trip simply said before he started to walk off again, only for Ash to call for him. "Hey, Trip! The next time we see each other, let's have a Pokémon battle!" Ash suggested, as the Unova rival only shrugged, before making his words. "We'll have to see if you're worth battling." Trip said as he continued to walk off, leaving Ash bewildered before he smiled sheepishly at his rival's feelings.

Shade only watched, as the confident, but calm trainer walked off and out of sight. "That kid will never learn when to respect others, huh..." Shade said to himself, before he shook his head.

**Later...**

A helicopter arrived at the top of the building, causing Takeru, Ash, and the others to meet up the ones that were riding it! Even Shade followed to meet the Unova Professor. "Prof. Juniper!" Takeru called as he ran over to the Professor, with Ash, Pikachu, and Riolu at his side. "Hi, Takeru! And Ash, too! Officer Jenny had told me what happened. Great work, everyone!" Prof. Juniper said, praising the ones that stopped the Venipede stampede.

She then took notice of the leader of the Dire Wolves as she widened her eyes, before shaking her head in disbelief. Shade walked over, greeting the Unova Professor. "It's been a while, Prof. Juniper." Shade said with a small smile on his face, catching everyone by surprise. The Unova Professor looked back up at the half-masked boy, before greeting Shade back with a smile on her face, too.

"Yes... It indeed has been a while, Shade." Prof. Juniper agreed, as Ash could only gape in shock. "Professor Juniper...!? You mean to say, that you know who Shade is!?" Ash yelped in shock. "Yes. He and I have met several times on cases like this. He has been a great help with my research, along with his team." Prof. Juniper explained, as this left the Nuvema boy confused and bewildered at this.

_"That's funny... If she knew Shade all along, how come she never told me about him or about his organization...?" _Takeru thought, as he started to believe that the Professor was hiding something from him. But what was it? Riolu felt surprised too, before he soon came to the same thought as his human brother was thinking, as he gave a glance at both Ryuu and Chikage, as the two didn't seem to notice him staring.

"Ahem... Um, Professor... Do you know the reason for the Venipede's behavior?" Burgh asked, as the Professor nodded, before showing the proof of her answer. "Yes. Take a look." Prof. Juniper answered, as she revealed to everyone of where the powerful energy source has been found in the Desert Resort. "We've discovered a mysterious energy flow below the barren lands that surround Castelia City." Prof. Juniper explained.

Ash widened his eyes at this, as he frowned. "Mysterious energy?" Ash repeated in confusion. "Correct. We found the energy source. It's enormous! And it appears to be emanating from the Desert Resort." Prof. Juniper explained, as Shade frowned, before inputting his words about the energy source that his team had found before they had begun their mission to investigate.

"Yeah... My team and I have also discovered the strong energy flow coming from the Desert Resort. They are heading there right now as we speak." Shade explained, folding his arms with a serious expression under his half-face mask. "Rio." "En!" Both Ryuu and Chikage agreed together. Burgh widened his eyes at this as he realized on what this meant and on why the Venipede had terrorized the city.

"Of course! Venipede nests underground. So, that energy source must've really terrified them..." Burgh exclaimed. "Agreed." Prof. Juniper agreed, as the mayor made his question. "But what exactly is this mysterious energy?" The mayor asked. "I think that is what we're trying to find out together. Right, Professor?" Shade answered, as the Unova Professor nodded in confirmation.

"Yes, that's right." Prof. Juniper agreed. Officer Jenny made her request to the Professor, so that she could investigate the case more. "Professor, I'd like to observe." Officer Jenny requested, as the Castelia Gym Leader sighed in defeat. "I'd like to go as well, but... the Venipede over in Central Plaza concerns me... So, I'll stay behind and wait for you all here!" Burgh declared.

"Professor! We'd like to come, too!" Ash requested, turning to the Unova Professor, surprising her with the sudden request. "What!? But, Ash..." Prof. Juniper started, until Takeru stepped up, making his request as well. "I'd like to come too, Professor. This is something that not any of us can just ignore! That energy source have caused the Venipede to invade Castelia City! One of the reasons for this chaos!" Takeru explained sternly.

"That's right! We have to know what the problem is at the Desert Resort!" Riolu barked in agreement, despite of his human brother being the only one to understand. "Please, Professor! I want to go, too!" "Axew ew!" Iris and Axew pleaded together. "We'd all like to go, if it's possible." Cilan explained along, causing the Unova Professor to hesitate for a moment, until Shade stepped up, making the answer.

"I think it's a good idea, Professor." Shade said, catching everyone by surprise. "But, Shade...!" Prof. Juniper started, until the leader of the Dire Wolves stopped her. "It's just as Takeru said, this is something that no one can just ignore. The four of them helped us gather the Venipede to the Central Plaza, so it would be fair for them to help out in this situation, too." Shade explained.

The explanation Shade put up left the Unova Professor to sigh, as she gave a glance of Officer Jenny, who nodded in agreement, agreeing that it was a good idea, too. "Alright then... But, if anything dangerous comes by, I'd like you all to be careful." Prof. Juniper declared with a warning. The four trainers all nodded together, understanding the danger in this case. "Right!" _"Yes!" _"Pika!" "Axew!" The group and their three Pokémon agreed.

**The next morning...**

"Good luck!" Burgh called, as he waved to the helicopter flying away. With the agreement to travel with the Unova Profeseor, Takeru, Ash, Iris, and Cilan prepared to see what is about to occur at the Desert Resort, as they knew that they would have to brace themselves if they were to have a fight. Shade sat by, next tomthem as he knew he had to reunite with his teammates to continue on his mission.

As the helicopter moved, the Nuvema boy felt nervous on this task. He knew that somehow, that this task won't just involve the Desert Resort, but a chance that it might affect Castelia City. _"Looks like I'll have to brace myself..." _Takeru thought as he bit his lips and clenched his fists.

To be continued...

**Takeru's Team:**

**Riolu: (M): (Aura Sphere, Blaze Kick, ThunderPunch, Dig)**

**Deino: (M): (Dragon Rage, Headbutt, Bite, Incinerate****)**

**Tranquill: (M): (Air Cutter, Gust, Aerial Ace, Roost)**

**Tepig: (M): (Flamethrower, Smog, Flame Charge, Rollout)**

**Zorua: (F): (Scratch, Leer, Pursuit, ?)**

**Darmanitan: (M): (Psychic, Bulk Up, Fire Punch, Flamethrower)**

With Prof. Juniper:

**Joltik: (M): (Electro Ball, Signal Beam, String Shot, Electroweb)**

**Petilil: (F): (Magical Leaf, Sleep Powder, Stun Spore, Mega Drain)**

Next chapters:

**Chapter 45: ****Team Rocket VS Team Plasma! Pt. 1**

**Chapter 46: ****Team Rocket VS Team Plasma! Pt. 2**

**Chapter 47: ****Aura VS Art! Takeru's Promise!**

**Chapter 48: Swadloon VS Leavanny! Ash's Art!**

**Chapter 49: A Fishing Competition! Meet Rosa!**

**Next chapter preview:**

Prof. Juniper: We're picking up a high energy source coming from up ahead at the Desert Resort! What in the world...

Plasma Grunt: We'll be taking the Meteonite out of your hands so that it can assist us with our quest for the Unova region!

Shade: Team Plasma... I remember you bastards now! I'll crush you like you nearly did to me in the past!

Giovanni: No one shall interfere! From this day forth, the Unova region will bow down before me as the leader of Team Rocket!

Ash: Pikachu! What's wrong with you!? Are you hurt!? That rock... Could that be the source of Pikachu being sick!?

Takeru: I don't care whether you're our enemies or comrades! Either way, I'm taking the both of you down!


	45. Team Rocket VS Team Plasma! Pt 1

**Chapter 45: Team Rocket VS Team Plasma! Pt. 1**

The morning sun rose up in the sky as the Dire Wolves' helicopter flew to where the strong energy flow was coming from at the Desert Resort. "We're getting closer... It should be a few moments until we reach it." Pierce said, as he picked up speed for the helicopter. Sarah kept a close eye out to see if anything was out of ordinary in the desert. "I don't see anything right now..." Sarah said, until Mana gasped.

"Ah! Pierce, look out!" Mana shrieked. Pierce widened his eyes under the mask to see that something was coming straight at the helicopter! He swerved to dodge it, only for the attack to hit the rotating blades! The helicopter started to teeter and totter in the air, as Pierce lost control of the chopper's controls. "Argh! Damnit! We've been hit! Emergency landing, coming through!" Pierce grunted angrily.

Mana held on to dear life on her seat as Sarah tried to maintain control of the attacked helicopter only for it to be futile, as the three Dire Wolves member crashed onto the ground. The crash wasn't hard, so no one was hurt. The three got out of their crashed helicopter, before they turned to see a group of men in black suits and a red R on their shirts. "Tch... Team Rocket." Pierce scoffed.

"What are you brats doing here? This isn't some kind of playground for you to play in." One of the grunts sneered as he took out a Pokéball. The other two took out their Pokéballs as well to prepare for battle. Pierce and Sarah prepared to counterattack, until Mana stepped up, stopping her two comrades. "You two... Please, let me handle this one." Mana requested, leaving Pierce shocked at her request.

"Mana, are you crazy!? You can't think you can handle them alone-" Pierce started, until Sarah interrupted him. "Leave her, Pierce. This is something we can't interfere on." Sarah said harshly, causing Pierce to flinch as he glared back at her. "But, Sarah!?" Pierce snapped, until Mana spoke up. "Just go on ahead! I can do this, even if it's the three of them." Mana assured, catching the young teen by surprise.

He gritted his teeth in annoyance, before he sighed. "Alright then... Be careful." Pierce warned, as the nine year old girl nodded, allowing her two older comrades to run past her and the grunts. "Gah! Hold it right there, you brats! Raticate, strike them!" The first grunt called. "Grimer, let's go!" "Koffing, you too!" The other two grunts called, as they summoned their Kanto based Pokémon to stop the enemies.

The giant rat came out, along with a purple gas ball and with a purple sludge. Pierce and Sarah stopped to see that the three Pokémon surrounded them, leaving them nowhere to run. "Don't count on it... Mika! Marie! And Hina! Come on out, you three!" Mana called, as she summoned her three Pokémon out for battle. The grunts turned in surprise to see the young girl and her three Pokémon.

A Riolu named Mika appeared, along with Marie, the Gothorita, and Hina, the Munna. The three struck the Kanto based Pokémon, allowing both Pierce and Sarah to escape from the three grunts. "Hey! Come back here, you two!" The second grunt snapped, until he felt something sharp pass him, cutting his cheek a little as he widened his eyes in shock, before he turned to see who it was.

Mana had thrown one of her small daggers, which was split apart from the metal flute that had the snowflake pictures. "Ah... Why, you little brat..." The second grunt hissed as Mana remained silent, before she glared at her three enemies. "Watch your mouth, old man... Because even if I don't like to fight, I am strong... Strong enough to defeat the three of you all at the same time." Mana assured.

This left the three grunts insulted as they all glared dirtily at the nine year old girl. "We'll make you eat those words, you little brat... So, get ready!" The second grunt snapped angrily. He turned to his two comrades, who nodded at his look before the three made their attacks. "Squash her!" The second grunt bellowed angrily. "RIGHT!" The first and the third cried out in agreement.

* * *

**(Pokémon BW Opening (Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V Opening 4 Lyrics) (****English Subbed))**

(Many Pokéballs pass by, coming from the bright light)

**_Now is the time, hold up your trump card._**

**_ This future is yours to take!_**

(Takeru catches one of them and summons his Pokémon)

(The Best Wishes opening title shows with Takeru, Ash, Iris, and Cilan's four faces showing)

**_Burging brightly. _**

**_Like you're still watching an unending dream_**

(Takeru walks on a path at night with a serious expression on his face, with Riolu at his side)

**_Your body yearns for it. _**

**_A place where those who are strong are._**

(Ash stands at a battlefield, with Pikachu on his shoulder, as they prepare to face their opponent)

**_Shaky, wavering. _**

**_What you're looking for it nowhere to be found._**

(Cilan and Pansage are preparing supper, until they see a shooting star up on the evening sky)

**_But you're still seeking it._**

**_A place overwhelming with power._**

(Iris and Axew watches the forest on a high branch of a giant tree)

_**The next battle is waiting for me.**_

(Team Rocket and Team Plasma stand in opposition, ready to fight)

(Jessie, James, and Meowth stand above the Team Rocket organization)

(Aldith and Barrett stand above the Team Plasma organization)

(Giovanni and Ghetsis stand big and tall as each organization's leader)

**_I can hear the sign of new days coming._**

(Shade turns, offering a hand, with Ryuu and Chikage behind him)

(Takeru, Iris, Ash, Cilan, Nate, Rosa, and Hugh prepares to fight against their enemies)

(Riolu, Axew, Pikachu, Pansage, Pignite, Servine, and Dewott stands behind their trainers)

**_Now is the time, hold up your trump card. _**

**_This future is yours to take!_**

(Takeru summons all eight of his Pokémon; Riolu, Tranquill, Pignite, Joltik, Deino, Zorua, Darmanitan, and Petilil)

(Ash summons his Pokémon; Pikachu, Snivy, Tepig, Oshawott, Tranquill, Swadloon, and Scraggy)

**Whether your smile can shake this world is all up to you.**

(Iris summons her Pokémon; Axew, Emolga and Excadrill)

(Cilan summons his Pokémon; Pansage, Dwebble, and Stunfisk)

**_Write a new chapter in this story._**

**_After all, aren't you the hero?_**

(Zekrom and Reshiram roars together in opposition)

(Takeru and Zekrom merges together, making Takeru a different person)

(Takeru, Ash, Cilan, and Iris all stand together with all their current Pokémon)

**(Opening ends)**

* * *

Another helicopter flew by, as it was also headed for the high energy flow in the Desert Resort. Inside the helicopter was Takeru, Ash, Iris, Shade, Cilan, Prof. Juniper, and Officer Jenny. "What's the current status, Professor?" Shade asked seriously, as the Unova Professor checked her data pad. "The energy level is growing stronger... It seems that we're getting close to the source." Prof. Juniper answered.

"So that would mean we're close to the cause of the Venipede invasion, right?" Iris asked. "Yes, that's right." Prof. Juniper agreed as Officer Jenny picked up speed for the helicopter. Takeru watched out the window to see the sun rising up at the desert, as it seemed to be normal at the moment. _"Big brother... Is something wrong?"_ Riolu asked, catching the Nuvema boy's attention as he turned to his partner.

"Hm? Oh... No, nothing is wrong, Riolu... I'm just thinking about what just happened yesterday." Takeru explained, as he recalled on the Venipede attacking Castelia City, and on how Prof. Juniper explained about the reasons the Venipede invaded the city. But what didn't make sense to him was Shade. He gave a glance at the Shadow Demon, who was folding his arms, focusing on his mission.

When Shade had passed him yesterday, he felt a strange feeling coming up to him for a moment, until it went away. And when the Unova Professor had arrived, she seemed to have known Shade for years, despite of her not telling him about the Shadow Demon. _"Just_ _what was Prof. Juniper hiding from me? Does this have to do with me being linked to him?" _Takeru thought, as he started to feel doubtful of himself.

But just then, the Emanation Pokémon felt something off as he widened his eyes, as his ears tensed by a strange aura coming from the desert. Ryuu seem to have felt it too, as it also felt the strange aura coming from outside of the helicopter. "Rio! Ri! Riolu!" Ryuu barked to Shade, catching his surprise as he bit his lips. "Something's watching us?" Shade asked, catching everyone else by surprise.

"What's watching us?" Ash asked. The curiosity grew the better of him as he opened the helicopter doors, much to both Cilan and Iris' surprise. "Ash!?" Cilan gasped. "Hey, Ash! What are you doing!?" Iris shrieked in shock. "Close the doors! It's too dangerous right now to open them!" Officer Jenny ordered as the Nuvema boy peeked out as well, to see something below them!

"Hey... I see some people down there! Three of them, to be exact!" Takeru pointed out, pointing at the figures on the ground. "What!?" Officer Jenny gasped, until something was off. Shade also looked to see one figure pointing at them, or most likely, the helicopter! The hooded figure sent out a purple leopard looking Pokémon, and ordered an attack. "Ah! Everyone! Brace yourselves for impact!" Shade bellowed in warning.

Everyone held onto something as an attack came by, destroying the rotors of the helicopter! The tail was blown off as well, causing the helicopter to be shooting down to the ground. Everyone screamed as they were falling, causing the officer to resist the fall. "Argh! We're going down! The control on the helicopter isn't working! I can't get us to slow down!" Officer Jenny grunted as she gritted her teeth.

"Hang on, everyone!" Prof. Juniper yelled as the helicopter landed on the ground, hard. It skidded across the desert ground, spinning in the process. Everyone had to hold on for dear life as the spinning finally stopped. The windows were smashed, and the helicopter was completely busted! Now it could no longer be used for flight anymore. "Argh... Is everyone alright?" Prof. Juniper asked.

"Ngh... Yeah, I think so..." Ash answered, getting up with a groan. "Pika..." Pikachu groaned along. "My head hurts a little..." Iris answered, holding her head to keep herself from spinning. "I think I'm fine..." Cilan said as he stood up. Officer Jenny got out of the driver's seat before she noticed the three figures and their Pokémon walking towards them! Shade and Takeru came out in time to see the three in front of them!

They seemed to be a group of men cloaked with desert robes as the officer glared at them with anger. "Alright, who are you!? Do you have any idea how much chaos you could've created by shooting us down like that!? I should arrest you all for your foolish and unacceptable actions!" Officer Jenny snapped, as she pointed at the three men. The purple leopard looking Pokémon growled as Ash took out his Pokédex.

"Who's that Pokémon...?" Ash asked, as he scanned it. _"Liepard, the Cruel Pokémon, and the evolved form of Purrloin. __Stealthily, Liepard can sneak up to its target, striking from behind before its victim has a chance to react." _Ash's Pokédex buzzed. At the sight of the Pokédex, one of the men grunted with annoyance. "So... You all must be Pokémon Trainers... Trainers who uses Pokédex to make Pokémon their servants." The man scoffed.

"What was that!?" Ash snapped as the man scoffed again. "I will ask you all to not get in our way. We are currently on a mission to retrieve the Meteonite for our own personal gains. Having you people and trainers in the way would simply make things worse for us and all the Pokémon in this world." The man warned, as his words left both Iris and Cilan confused. "Worse for Pokémon?" Cilan repeated.

"What do you mean by that?" Iris asked as the second man interrupted her. "We don't need to answer your questions, little girl. We're just asking you to stay out of our way." The second man snapped. That was when Shade stepped up, clenching his fists. "I don't see any reason why we should listen to your warnings! They could be just empty, especially when you're standing around, doing nothing to us now!" Shade snapped.

The third man gritted his teeth as he was about to attack with his Pokémon, until the first man stopped him. "Don't." The first said, as the second complained. "But those brats are challenging us! Are we to just run away and leave those foolish children go unpunished!?" The second snapped as Prof. Juniper stepped up, glaring at the three. "Explain yourselves! Who are you people!?" The Unova Professor asked.

"Ah... Prof. Juniper... The one who had designed the Pokédex, and the reason for the Trainers to capture Pokémon for their slaves." The first man scoffed, annoyed by seeing the Professor. "What do you mean by slaves!? Not every people are like that!? Some of us love our Pokemon to be part of the family, or to become our friends!? You have no right to accuse us of handling our Pokémon!" Takeru snapped.

"That may be so, but we believe that Pokémon will never be free unless they are liberated from humans like you, ignorant trainers." The third one snapped. At the mention of 'liberate', Shade widened his eyes under his mask as he realized on who these people are. His eyes began to glow red under his mask, both filled with such rage. It started to grow slits, like a savage, hunting for his prey.

His haunting, smiling fang-like mask seemed to be begging for a bloodbath. His aura was dark as a shadow like a fog misted off of his body, but yet attached to him at the same time. He looked exactly like his name, the Shadow Demon. "Ryuu... Aura Sphere! And Chikage, Night Daze!" Shade snapped, pointing at the three. Everyone turned to the Shadow Demon by surprise as his two main Pokémon attacked with their best moves.

"Shade! What are you doing!?" Prof. Juniper gasped as the first man countered with Liepard. "Counter those attacks with Hyper Beam, Liepard!" The first man called. At the order, the Cruel Pokémon blocked both Night Daze and Aura Sphere with its Hyper Beam attack, negating both attacks! "No way!?" Ash gasped. "Pika!?" The Electric Type cried along in shock.

"That Hyper Beam stopped both of Shade's attacks!" Cilan pointed out in surprise. "Hmph. So you want to do this, eh? You will regret challenging us." The first scoffed as Shade snapped back. "No... I don't think I'll regret it! I've waited long years for this... This is for you bastards torturing me for so long!" Shade snapped. The way the Shadow Demon spoke left the group surprised, along with Officer Jenny and Prof. Juniper.

"Shade... What are you talking about...?" Takeru started to ask, until the Shadow Demon stopped him. "Answers can come later... Right now, I need to settle the score with these three..." Shade hissed as Ryuu and Chikage were ready to fight, as the first one scoffed in disinterest. "We don't have time for this... The Meteonite will belong to us, the heroes, no matter what the cost is!" The first man snapped.

As he prepared to leave, the shuffling from turning around revealed one part of his uniform. The uniform had a P sign, with a cross on it, causing Shade to widen his eyes, before he clenched his fists. "Where are you going!? Ryuu! Aura Sphere!" Shade yelled, pointing at the first man. "Shade, wait!" Prof. Juniper started, as the first man turned, countering Shade's sneak attack.

"Tch... Brat... Liepard, Hyper Beam!" The first man yelled, as the Cruel Pokémon did so. It shot another Hyper Beam attack at the Aura Sphere, negating it while aiming to hit the group at the same time! "Everyone, look out!" Officer Jenny yelled, causing everyone to widen their eyes and gasp at the incoming attack. But then, Shade quickly took action and held out his hands, as if he was preparing to block the attack!

In the process of his blocking, dark aura surrounded his hands, as it looked like he was about to do something crazy. "Shade!? What are you doing!? Get out of there, now!" Takeru yelled loudly as he tried to pull Shade out of the way, until the leader of the Dire Wolves glared at him under his mask. "Stay out of this! We'll be fine! Just stay back!" Shade assured as he kept his blocking position.

The other two widened their eyes at the Shadow Demon's attempt to block Hyper Beam. "Is that kid a fool!? He'll take major damage from the Hyper Beam!" The second one yelled as the third one just gritted his teeth in annoyance. "**Death's Judgement!**" Shade bellowed as the Hyper Beam came closer until it was absorbed, as the energy started to turn into a glowing ball!

"What the...!?" The second one gasped as the group gaped at Shade's power. "Did he just... absorb the Hyper Beam attack!?" Iris shrieked in shock. "But how...!?" Cilan asked along. "He's not a normal person, that's for sure!" Ash pointed out. "Pika..." Pikachu said in amazement. The Nuvema boy widened his eyes in shock as he began to sweat. "What...? How...? How is he...?" Takeru stuttered in shock.

The first one stepped back in surprise as Liepard stopped its attack in shock. It was shocked to see that its attack was absorbed by a mere human! But the Shadow Demon proved himself to be more than a normal human as he focused his aura powers to shoot it right back. "Take this! Your own attack... Right back at you!" Shade yelled as he blasted the absorbed Hyper Beam towards the three men.

Unlike what Liepard had shot, this Hyper Beam seemed to be four times bigger and powerful than a normal one! The energy caused a huge explosion, knocking the three men and Liepard, while knocking the four trainers, Prof. Juniper, and Officer Jenny at the same time! "AAARRRGHHH!" Shade screamed as he tried to restrain himself from pushing his powers too hard, only for it to backfire.

The strain from using Death's Judgement caused him to fall to his knees as he panted, feeling exhausted. Most of his aura was used to deflect the attack back at his enemies, causing him to feel very fatigued. But as the smoke cleared, he noticed that the Team Plasma members were struggling to get up as they gritted their teeth in annoyance. "Tch... damn brat... To think he has this much power..." The first grunted.

The second and third men were struck with fear however, as they turned to their first teammate. "H-Hey... We should just... get out of here! This kid is crazy! If we stay here any longer, then we'll be blasted apart!" The second one babbled fearfully. "Plus... We need to regroup with the others to obtain the Meteonite, remember!?" The third one reminded, as the first one grunted in annoyance.

"Tch... Fine. Let's move!" The first one grunted as he returned Liepard back to its Pokéball. As they were leaving, Shade managed to stand and glare at his retreating enemies. "Cowardly bastards...! Come back here!" Shade snapped, until he realized he couldn't run, causing him to fall to his knees again. By the time they were gone, everyone else recovered from the blow of Shade's Death Judgement attack.

"Ugh... Oh man, what happened?" Ash asked, holding his head as he groaned in pain. "I think... We discovered one of Shade's dangerous powers of manipulating the shadows." Takeru grunted as he stood up, seeing Shade on his knees. Iris and Cilan all got up to see that the attack the Shadow Demon had launched created a sand crater, making it look like a huge meteor had fallen in the sand.

Officer Jenny and Prof. Juniper had also recovered from the attack as the she looked at the Dire Wolves leader in worry. _"Oh Shade... Just what happened to you in the past years?" _Prof. Juniper thought in fright, believing that the teen had changed completely from the Shade that she had known. Officer Jenny only frowned, seeing that the boy was dangerous, despite of him being helpful with police cases.

"Prof. Juniper... I believe this is now something that we have to do ourselves." Officer Jenny said, catching everyone by surprise. "Wait, Officer Jenny! What are you saying?" Iris asked. "I'm saying that this is getting too dangerous for you kids to be a part of. We were shot down by those three... They could be from the mysterious organization that the Unova Police was serching about." Officer Jenny explained.

"Mysterious organization?" Ash repeated in confusion. The officer frowned, before she continued her explanation. "Yes... There have been reports about a mysterious organization that claims to be on the Pokémon's side, but..." Officer Jenny started, before she stopped, raising the group's questions and curiosity as the Connoisseur made the question. "But what, Officer?" Cilan asked.

"It turns out... Those people actually steal other people's Pokémon, while saying they want to liberate them from humans." Officer Jenny answered. "They steal Pokémon!?" Iris gasped. "But, what do they mean by liberating them from other people?" Cilan asked in confusion.

"That's something we're trying to find out about... What they do makes no sense to us for some reason... But, I believe... That this organization is doing whatever they can to prevent people from bonding with their Pokémon, by taking them away from them, forcing to release them when they can." Officer Jenny explained.

"That's just wrong! Why would they do something like that!? What good will come out of it, separating the people and Pokémon from each other, when there are some who love each other as friends and family!?" Ash snapped, angry at hearing this mysterious organization. The officer was unsure on how to respond, as Takeru kept his face darkened, while Riolu remained silent at this question.

Iris and Cilan looked at their Kanto friend, worried of how he might react to this. Ryuu and Chikage, on the other hand, just comforted their weakened trainer, ignoring the protests from the Kanto trainer. Prof. Juniper sighed as she cleared her throat. "In any case, I believe Officer Jenny is right. I think it'll be best if she and I handle this alone for a while." Prof. Juniper explained.

"And what...? Just the two of you would be too easy for them to handle." Shade warned, catching the officer and the professor by surprise. "Shade? What are you saying?" Prof. Juniper asked. "I'm saying that the two of you can't solve this case on your own... The three that we faced before... I believe those guys are part of the organization that you're talking about... and the one that I'm hunting down." Shade explained.

He stood up, dusting himself off as he turned on his Xtransciever to contact his comrades. "Pierce! Do you hear me!? Pierce!" Shade called as his comrade's face appeared on the screen. "Yeah! I can hear you perfectly!" Pierce called. The Shadow Demon sighed in relief, before he explained the situation to him. "Pierce, we've been shot down by a mysterious organization's attack. We need some backup, right away!" Shade called.

"That's just what I was going to do! We were shot down, too! By Team Rocket!" Pierce explained annoyingly, catching everyone and Shade by surprise. "Team Rocket...!? They shot down Shade's friends!?" Ash gasped. "I should've known they had something to do with this!" Iris snapped angrily. "Axew ew!" "Pika!" Both Axew and Pikachu agreed in annoyance, as they recalled their old enemies.

"Tch... Those guys too, huh? Alright then... I need you to send a few more people to us! Call for some backup as fast as you can! And wait... where's Mana? I thought she was with you and Sarah?" Pierce asked, catching the Nuvema boy by surprise. _"Mana...? Does he mean... my little sister!?"_ Takeru thought as he quickly stood up, before grabbing Shade's Xtransciever wrist as he glared at Pierce.

Shade yelped from the sudden yank as the Nuvema boy glared at the plain masked boy. "You... Do you know where my sister is!? Do you!? Where is she!?" Takeru snapped, much to Pierce's surprise, until Shade yanked his arm away from the eleven year old. "Hey! Back off! I'm the one asking the questions here, kid, so butt out!" Shade snapped, as Takeru glared back with annoyance.

"No, I won't! You said Mana, right!? Mana Yamada, my sister, you mean!?" Takeru snapped, catching Ash and Iris by surprise. "Mana...?" Ash repeated. "Takeru's sister?" Iris repeated along. Then, the two widened their eyes in shock as they were bewildered to hear that their friend had a little sister. "WHAT!?" The two yelled together. "PIKA!?" "AXEW EW!?" Even Pikachu and Axew were shocked at the news.

Both Cilan and Riolu sweat dropped, as they realized that they had never told Ash, Iris, Pikachu, and Axew about Takeru having a little sister in his family. "Oh my..." Prof. Juniper said as she remembered that young Mana worked with the Dire Wolves, which her older brother never knew at all. "Yes, I mean your sister! And there's nothing for you to worry about, kid. She's safe. Perfectly." Shade assured.

This didn't satisfy the Nuvema boy as he kept his glaring face at the leader of the Dire Wolves. "You... Did you... drag her into this!? Did you drag her into your little organization, and force her into this task!?" Takeru demanded, which Pierce denied frantically. "No, no, no! It wasn't our idea, kid! It was her own idea! Her own desire to join the Dire Wolves! It was her decision!" Pierce exclaimed.

Then, Sarah's picture came into the Xtransciever, as she confirmed it with an agreement. "That's right. Your little sister asked to join us so that she could become stronger, and to bond with the Pokémon that have been abused by trainers and other people." Sarah explained, as the Nuvema boy was still angry about Mana being part of the Dire Wolves organization.

"That still doesn't explain why she is on this mission of yours! She could be just nine years old! An age not even suitable enough for a Pokémon Trainer!" Takeru retorted, as Shade gritted his teeth in annoyance. He punched Takeru away hard, knocking him onto the sand, much to his shock and pain. "Gah-!" Takeru gasped as he lost some of his breath, causing Riolu to panic.

_"No! Brother Takeru!"_ Riolu wailed as he ran to his human brother frantically, while surprising Shade and his other two Pokémon as well. _"Brother...? I see... The kid bonded with this Riolu, just like Mana did, huh."_ Shade thought as he quickly calmed down, before the Nuvema boy recovered from the sudden punch. Sarah on the other hand sighed as she spoke with her leader about the current situation.

"We don't have time to talk, Shade. We're heading to the high energy source in the Desert Resort. We'll call backup as soon as we can." Sarah assured as her screen disappeared, leaving only Pierce to contact Shade. "Y-Yeah. What she said!" Pierce agreed as he turned the connection off, leaving Shade to stare at his now black and empty Xtransciever screen.

"You..." Takeru hissed as Shade sighed. "Your sister is safe with us, kid. I can promise you, that even when she is too young, she is strong, and strong enough to defeat all those that come near her, even when she is outnumbered." Shade assured, as the Nuvema boy kept his glare at him. Ash, Iris, and Cilan kept their eyes on Shade and Takeru's conversation and glaring, until Takeru spoke up.

"If she... If she gets hurt or put in any danger... I'll never forgive you and your friends... even if she gets a scratch." Takeru warned dangerously, his left eye pupil glowing red for a moment, causing Riolu to flinch as he never saw his human brother being this angry, especially towards someone else, except his enemies. Shade said nothing as he turned to Officer Jenny and Prof. Juniper.

"We might as well get going. Pierce and Sarah should be ahead, waiting for us. Mana, too..." Shade said, as he began to walk off. Officer Jenny frowned, before she began to follow as she turned to warn the group about the crisis that could be dangerous for them. "Everyone... Please head back to Castelia City." Officer Jenny requested as she turned to Prof. Juniper to follow.

The Unova Professor understood as she began to follow as well, until Takeru stopped her. "Professor..." Takeru called, catching Prof. Juniper's attention. "Yes?" Prof. Juniper asked, as Takeru's face was darkened. "Did you... Did you know all this? Did you know who Shade was, and where my little sister was...? Did you also know the Dire Wolves, too?" Takeru asked shakily, his fists trembling with fear and little anger.

Prof. Juniper watched sadly as she sighed, before making her answer. "I did not know Shade completely or the Dire Wolves as well. But, I did know about your sister being part of this organization." Prof. Juniper answered, causing Takeru to widen his eyes as he kept his eyes on the ground. With no other words to say, the Professor left with Officer Jenny and Shade, leaving the group next to the destroyed helicopter.

Once they were gone, Ash, Iris, and Cilan kept their eyes on the Nuvema boy, who seemed shocked and depressed of this news. "Takeru..." Ash said in concern. "Mm... It must be hard, being informed of all this and accepting it at the same time..." Iris said, feeling bad for the Nuvema boy. "Pikachu..." "Axew..." Both Pikachu and Axew were concerned about this, too as Cilan sighed.

"He never heard of his sister for about two years, so it would be no surprise if he was shocked at this news... A bitter taste, in my opinion." Cilan reminded the others, before he frowned. For Takeru, he remained silent as Riolu watched, before he tried to nuzzle his human brother, even giving him a hug for comfort. _"Brother... Are you... feeling alright?"_ Riolu asked, now deeply concerned.

"Am I alright...? No, Riolu... I'm not. To suddenly hear about this... It's... It's just so hard to just accept these news..." Takeru said, while laughing nervously a little. Riolu had tears welling up in his eyes as he tightened the hug on his human brother, until something made him perk his ears up a little. _"Hm...? S-Something's... coming this way!"_ Riolu stuttered, before he gasped.

Takeru blinked, before he felt something coming as a huge energy wave passed him, knocking him down a little. "GAH! What the...!?" Takeru gasped as the energy wave knocked the others back, too! "What was that!? It suddenly came out of nowhere!" Ash gasped in shock. "I don't know... But, my senses are telling me that it's not good!" Iris stuttered, as she began to feel nervous a pit this.

"I think it's best that we heed Officer Jenny's words and head back to Castelia City!" Cilan grunted as he stood up, as the others stood up, too. "Yeah, I guess you're right." Ash agreed before he turned to his Electric Type Pokémon. "Pikachu, are you ready to- Ah! Pikachu, behind you!" Ash gasped, pointing to a figure that's behind Pikachu. The Electric Type blinked before he turned to see who was behind him!

The figure was taller than him, and it had a pair of sunglasses! It was Krokorok! The same Desert Croc Pokémon that trailed the group to battle both Pikachu and Riolu! "Huh!? You!? You're that same Krokorok from before!" Takeru yelped in shock as the evolved Dark-Ground Type nodded in confirmation. "Krokorok! Krok! Krokorok!" Krokorok smirked as he explained his reasons for being here.

Riolu face palmed as he knew that this was time for a battle. _"He followed us all the way here, just so he could have a rematch with me and Pikachu again!"_ Riolu complained, causing Takeru to glare at the selfish Pokémon. "Argh! How many times do we have to go over this!? There will be some time when we won't want to battle you! And this is really a horrible time to do so!" Takeru snapped.

That was when Ash held his hand up, blocking Takeru's way, catching the Nuvema boy by surprise. "Ash...? What are you doing!?" Takeru snapped as the Kanto trainer narrowed his eyes. "I don't think Krokorok is going to let us through unless we battle him... So, please... Help me on this one, Takeru!" Ash pleaded as he turned to Pikachu, who looked ready to fight.

The request bewildered Takeru, Iris, and Cilan as the wild girl scolded Ash for his decisions. "Ash!? Are you serious!? Like Takeru said, this is no time to have a Pokémon battle with Krokorok! We have to get back to Castelia City as Officer Jenny had told us to do! You're such a little kid, you know that!?" Iris scolded angrily, as Cilan tried to help her by reasoning with the Kanto trainer.

"She's right! Getting back to Castelia City sounds more safer, and it will take less time, too!" Cilan agreed. But that didn't change Ash's mind as he was still itching to battle with Krokorok again. "Sorry, guys... But this is something we can't just run away from! Krokorok came all this way to battle us, and I'll be giving him a battle that he wants! Right, Pikachu?" Ash exclaimed.

"Pika!" Pikachu agreed. Once again, Iris fumed on the Kanto trainer's selfish wishes this time, until both the Nuvema boy and the Emanation Pokémon stepped up. "Takeru? Are you going to help us, too?" Ash asked, feeling hopeful. The Nuvema boy gritted his teeth in annoyance before he quickly calmed down, making his answer. "I'm only joining in, so we could end this quicker. You alone would take too much time." Takeru answered.

Ash sweat dropped at his response, but accepted it as the two boys faced Krokorok for a battle. Iris was in disbelief that Takeru would join in, but the Connoisseur understood the Nuvema boy's intentions as the battle began.

**Krokorok VS Ash / Takeru: Pikachu / Riolu**

"Alright, Pikachu! Use Quick Attack!" "Riolu, start this off with Blaze Kick!" The two boys shouted out together. Both starters charged to strike at Krokorok, only for the evolved Dark-Ground Type to dig underground, dodging both attacks! "Ah! Krokorok is using Dig! Be careful, Pikachu!" Ash warned as the Quick Attack stopped, as Blaze Kick stopped as well.

Both Pokémon looked around, to see if there were any signs of Krokorok. Takeru remained calm, but serious. This was something he had to end quickly! This is no time for games for them! "If you won't come out fast enough, Krokorok, then we'll force you to come out to end this! Riolu, use Aura Sphere at the hole!" Takeru yelled, pointing at the hole. _"Alright!"_ Riolu barked with a nod.

The young Emanation Pokémon shot the sphere at the hole, causing a small explosion! The explosion knocked Krokorok out of the hole, much to his shock and pain, as he tried to regain his balance. "I won't let you! Riolu, hit him with Aura Sphere!" Takeru yelled, punching his fist in the air. Once again, with no hesitation, Riolu blasted Krokorok away hard with the super effective attack.

Krokorok yelled in pain as he fell and skidded on the ground, before he quickly got up in annoyance. He summoned pointed stones around him and launched it at both Pikachu and Riolu! "That's Stone Edge!" Cilan pointed out. "Pikachu, deflect them with Electro Ball!" Ash yelled. At the order, the Electric Type summoned his ball of electricity and threw it at the flying pointed stones!

The ball knocked them all away, until Krokorok appeared in front of it! "What the...!?" Ash gasped as Krokorok bit onto the Electro Ball, before negating it. "No way! It ate the Electro Ball!?" Ash gasped. "Pika!?" Even Pikachu was shocked at this, as Takeru kept attacking. "Focus on winning, Ash! Riolu, Aura Sphere!" Takeru yelled. _"I'm on it!"_ Riolu cried as he launched another Aura Sphere at Krokorok.

Omce again, the Desert Croc Pokémon tried to bite on it like with Electro Ball, only for the force to be too strong! It blasted him away, causing him to skid on the ground again. "Looks like the Aura Sphere was too hot and spicy for Krokorok to handle!" Cilan pointed out, with a frown. "If this keeps up, then both Ash and Takeru will win for sure!" Iris reminded the Connoisseur as she smiled at their upcoming victory.

"Alright! Let's do this, Pikachu! Use Iron Tail!" "Riolu, strike him hard with Blaze Kick!" The boys shouted together. Once again, the two starters shot towards Krokorok, who was ready to strike back, until something stopped Pikachu and Riolu from attacking! Another energy wave passed the group, startling them all as they felt as the wave was stronger than the last one they felt!

"There's that energy wave again!" Ash yelped as he turned to see where it had come from. Unfortunately, as Ash was distracted by the strong energy wave, Krokorok used this chance to attack Riolu and Pikachu, catching the Nuvema boy's surprise. "Ah!? Both of you, look out!" Takeru yelled. Both starters turned, but it was too late to dodge or counter as Krokorok crunched on the two with Crunch!

Both starters screamed in pain, catching Ash's attention as he gasped to see the starters in peril. "Oh no, Pikachu!" Ash gasped, as Takeru gritted his teeth. "Argh! Knock him away with Blaze Kick, Riolu!" Takeru yelled. At the order, Riolu attempted to stop Krokorok with Blaze Kick, only for the Desert Croc Pokémon to shake him and Pikchu wildly, causing him to lose focus of his attack!

_"AAAAAAHHHHH!"_ Riolu screamed as he was shaken wildly by Crunch attack. "PIIIKKAAAA!" Pikachu screamed as well, leaving the Kanto trainer with little options to strike back! "No choice! Pikachu, use Thunderbolt on Krokorok!" Ash yelled. That shocked the Nuvema boy as he tried to stop his Kanto friend from letting his Electric Type starter attack, fearing for Riolu's safety.

"Ash, no! If you use Thunderbolt, you'll shock Riolu! And an Electric Type attack won't work on a Ground Type like Krokorok!" Takeru yelled, only for his warning to be too late. The Thunderbolt was shot, shocking both Riolu and Krokorok, as the Desert Croc Pokémon resisted the attack, while the shock hurt Riolu badly. _"AAAARRRGHHH! DID YOU HAVE TO USE THUNDERBOLT ON ME!?"_ Riolu screamed loudly.

But with enough power, the Electric Type attack started to affect Krokorok too as an explosion occurred on the three! Takeru, Ash, Iris, and Cilan gasped to see the smoke clearing, with Pikachu and Riolu unconscious by the explosion. As for Krokorok, he we sent flying high into the air! The Desert Croc Pokémon yelled in shock to see that he was being blown away once again by his rivals.

He disappeared into the now orange sky, similar to when Team Rocket had been blasted off in the previous regions. Once he was gone, the two boys ran over to their injured starters, picking them up in their arms. "Oh no... Pikachu! Are you okay?" Ash asked, holding his starter up. "P-Pika..." Pikachu groaned as he weakly looked at his human friend, while Takeru asked the same thing to Riolu.

"How are you feeling? Are you okay, Riolu?" Takeru asked, as he cradled his injured Fighting Type. Riolu moaned before opening his eyes to see his human brother holding him. _"I'm... I'm fine... Brother... Couldn't get any worse than this... right?"_ Riolu coughed weakly, grinning weakly as well. The Nuvema boy smiled weakly as he hugged his Emanation Pokémon softly, before whispering into his ear.

"Yeah... Thanks for fighting hard..." Takeru thanked silently until Cilan and Iris came over. "We really need to get Pikachu and Riolu back at the Pokémon Center! Then, we can find out what happened to Shade, Prof. Juniper, and Officer Jenny!" Cilan suggested, as the two boys nodded in agreement. With that agreed, the four trainers ran out of the Desert Resort to head back to Castelia City.

**Meanwhile...**

"Argh... Damn you... You little brat." The Rocket grunt groaned as he fell down, unconscious from being defeated. The three Rocket grunts were finally defeated, as Mana panted. She did expect them to resist hard, but not THIS hard. Mika, Marie, and Hina were all exhausted from that battle. She was tired too, even if she didn't get a scratch from the Pokémon or the Team Rocket members.

"Hina and Marie... Both of you, return." Mana called, as she returned them to their Pokéballs. She took out Mika's Pokéball to return her too, until Mika shook her head in refusal. "Rio! Lu! Rio!" Mika protested firmly, catching the nine year old by surprise. "H-Huh? But why...?" Mana asked in confusion until Mika ran over to her and hugged one of her legs, holding onto it tightly.

Mana widened her eyes in shock to see that her Riolu would act like this. It was like she wanted stay with her trainer, rather than being trapped inside the Pokéball. The nine year old sighed as she smiled softly, before she picked Mika up and hugged her back. "Mm... I'm sorry, for not understanding, Mika." Mana apologized as she rubbed Mika's back, which seemed to have made the female Emanation Pokémon feel much better.

Carrying Mika in her arms, the nine year old Yamada girl continued to walk to where Sarah and Pierce headed off to, believing that they're continuing their way to find the source of the energy waves. But just then, the Xtransciever rung, catching the little girl by surprise as she picked it up, before answering it. "Yes?" Mana called, as Sarah's voice came out, answering her call.

"Mana, are you there? Are you alright!?" Sarah asked desperately. "Um, yeah! I'm fine... Why do you ask?" Mana asked, surprised by Sarah's tone. Pierce then came over, giving a sigh of relief. "Well... The truth is... We need to head back to Castelia City, right now. We were just wondering if you were safe or not." Pierce said bluntly, only to receive a punch on his head by Sarah.

"Idiot..." Sarah mumbled under her breath as Mana laughed nervously at the two. "Um... By the way, why do we need to head back to the city? I thought the strong energy sources were coming from here." Mana asked. "We thought so, too... But, somehow it's leaving the desert and heading for Castelia City... We're guessing that Team Rocket must've already collected the source of the energy waves." Sarah explained.

"Team Rocket...? Are you sure?" Mana asked in worry. "Ngh... Y-Yeah... We saw a big helicopter passing above us when we were getting there... It had the R sign symbol on it, so we assumed that it was them..." Pierce groaned as he recovered from Sarah's hard punch. "So... What should we do now...? Does that mean we failed to stop them?" Mana asked, feeling worried about their mission now.

"No... There is still a chance. Pierce and I called for some backup, some already in Castelia City. We're guessing that if Team Rocket were to be showing the source's powers, then it has to be in a famous city, like in Castelia." Sarah explained, as Pierce popped in, explaining more about their plan. "We also heard that there was going to be a masquerade party at Castelia, so it's more likely Team Rocket would show their plans there." Pierce added.

"So that would mean... We're going to head there and infiltrate the party?" Mana asked, feeling unsure about this idea. "That's the plan. With the masks we have on right now, I think we'll have no problem getting in there." Sarah assured, feeling serious about this task. The young fighter sighed in relief, until she realized of the problem she had right now: being stranded in the Desert Resort.

"Wait... How am I supposed to get back to the city when it's a bit far from here? It's going to get dark before-" Mana started to ask until she felt something blowing her hair and the area, as there was a sound; a helicopter sound, to be exact. "I think your answer is right there." Pierce teased, pointing to the helicopter behind her as the little girl sighed in relief, as some of the Dire Wolves members called to her.

"Hey! You're Mana, right!? Grab onto the ladder!" One of the members shouted, before he threw down the helicopter ladder for Mana to catch. She turned to Mika, who nodded with a smile. The nine year old nodded back before she caught the ladder and got onto the ladder for a wild ride. "Hang on, Mika! I think this ride is going to be wild!" Mana warned as the helicopter moved around, heading back for Castelia City.

**Back to Takeru and the others...**

It was getting dark, as the sky was starting to become the night sky. The four trainers were hurrying back to Castelia City so that they could get to the Pokémon Center, all believing that Nurse Joy could treat Pikachu and Riolu's wounds. As they were running back however, they noticed a few helicopters flying above them, passing them as they all stopped to see them flying ahead towards Castelia City!

"What's with the helicopters?" Ash asked, startled by the sudden appearance of them. Cilan then noticed something up ahead as he widened his eyes. "Look! There's something attached onto that helicopter!" Cilan pointed out, pointing at something glowing under one of the helicopters. It seemed to be a glowing meteorite, only to be trapped in a glowing cube, like it was trapped in a force field.

"Something tells me that that stone on the helicopters is not a good sign." Iris guessed as she shivered at the sight of it. "Axew..." Axew whimpered along, as he hid inside Iris' hair. Riolu groaned and squirmed in Takeru's arms, catching the Nuvema boy by surprise as he tried to calm the Emanation Pokémon down. "Riolu!? What is it!? What's wrong!?" Takeru asked in surprise.

Pikachu started to do the same, as he squirmed around Ash's arms, much to the Kanto trainer's shock. "Ah! Pikachu!? Buddy, what's the matter?" Ash asked, feeling confused on the Electric Type's conditions. "It must have something to do with the stone that the helicopters carried off with!" Cilan pointed out, as Iris frowned. "But, could that really be it...?" Iris asked in confusion.

Suddenly, something screeched behind them, causing the group to see a jeep stopping right in front of them! "WHOA!?" Ash yelped as he took a step back from surprise. "What are you four still doing here!? I thought I asked you to head for Castelia City!" Officer Jenny cried out, catching the group's attention. The group noticed that Shade, Prof. Juniper, and Officer Jenny were the ones in the jeep!

Not only that, someone else was with them, too! "Oh my... Ash, is that you?" The man asked, catching the Kanto trainer's surprise. "It's Looker! From the International Police!" Ash said in surprise. Cilan, Iris, and Takeru glanced at their Kanto friend in surprise, seeing that he knew one of the new faces of Unova. "What...? Do you know Officer Looker, Ash?" Prof. Juniper asked in surprise.

"Yeah! We met in the Sinnoh region once!" Ash explained as Shade frowned under his mask. "What happened to your four? And what's with Pikachu and Riolu?" Shade asked seriously. "I don't know... They were like this when we were distracted by a certain rival of ours... And then suddenly, after those helicopters passed us, they started to squirm and feel weird..." Takeru explained.

"The helicopters... Tch... This is starting to become even more troublesome..." Shade grunted as Prof. Junipers explained. "Those helicopters belonged to Team Rocket! They've collected the energy sources from the Desert Resort! I believe they called it... the Meteonite!" Prof. Juniper explained, catching the Nuvema boy's surprise as he recalled of what the three nodded men said earlier.

_"Meteonite... Could that be the reason why these two are like this...?"_ Takeru thought as he took notice of Pikachu and Riolu still squirming in their arms. "We can talk about this later! Right now, Team Rocket is headed straight for Castelia City! They're planning to use the Meteonite to do something there!" Looker explained as he gestured the four trainers to get in the keep. "Get in! We need to go as fast as we can!" Looker ordered.

"Right!" The four trainers agreed as they got in the jeep. Once they were all in, the International Police member began to rev up his engine and drive after the organization's helicopters as fast as he could. As they were driving, the Nuvema boy turned to Shade, who was right next to him. "Hey... What happened to my sister?" Takeru demanded, as the Shadow Demon sighed, before glaring at the Nuvema boy with assurance.

"She's safe. Our backup helicopter picked her up just in time, allowing her to move on to the next phase of our mission. Sarah and Pierce are still investigating the Resort right now, hoping to keep track of what Team Rocket is planning to do." Shade answered, leaving Takeru to glare back at the masked boy. The glares soon stopped as they hit a bump on the road, as they were near to the city.

"Alright, everyone! Hang on tight! This is going to get rough!" Looker warned, causing everyone to brace themselves for impact. And they were right to do so, as the road got bumpy, which caused the jeep to skid for a moment, as everyone held on tight, until the road became smooth again, showing that they had arrived back at Castelia City. The helicopter was there too, landing on top of a high building.

"They're landing over there... At that high building!" Iris pointed out, as Officer Jenny frowned at this. "That's where a masquerade party is about to take place tonight!" Officer Jenny pointed out in worry. "A masquerade party...?" Ash repeated in confusion as he looked up at the building. "But, why would they Team Rocket stop there?" Ash asked, confused with their methods.

"Its more likely to show the people of Castelia City on how serious they are to take over the world... And if I'm right, they're going to use the Meteonite to make an example of that... by demonstrating its powers to them." Looker explained as Shade scoffed. "Officer Looker... You said this was a masquerade party, correct?" Shade asked, catching Looker and everyone else's attention.

"Why... Yes, I did." Looker confirmed as Shade gave a small smile. "Then, I guess it's time for us to prepare some masks. Because we need to see for sure if they would demonstrate that kind of power in there." Shade smirked, as Looker and Officer Jenny knew what he meant. "You mean to say, we should infiltrate the party...? But that's..." Officer Jenny started, until Cilan spoke up.

"I agree with it, Officer Jenny. If we just stay down here while they reveal their plan, then the whole city might be in danger again!" Cilan agreed. "He's right! We need to see if what they're doing is danger to the other people and to this city!" Iris agreed. "Axew ew!" Axew agreed. Takeru frowned at this idea, believing that this could be risky, especially with Pikachu and Riolu squirming in their arms, still.

They looked as if they were in a lot of pain, making it look as if the Meteonite was the cause of their suffering. Plus, the wounds from their battle with Krokorok hasn't fully recovered yet, making their pain even more unbearable. He was about to object to the idea when Ash spoke up. "I think we should do it..." Ash said, catching everyone's attention, as the Kanto trainer explained.

"It's like what Cilan had said... We need to find a way to know what they're planning, and stop them before they can accomplish that plan! We need to do it... for the sake of Castelia City... and for the sake of the Unova region!" Ash explained. Pikachu weakly opened his eyes to see his human friend wanting to be part of this plan. Prof. Juniper and Looker both smiled at his explanation, before they both nodded to each other.

"And what about you, Takeru? What do you think of this...?" Prof. Juniper asked, causing all eyes to go to the Nuvema boy, who blinked before he bit his lips. He looked at Riolu, who kept squirming in his arms, gritting his teeth, like he was being tortured by something. "I... I... I'll do it... What Ash said... For the sake of this city, and for the Unova region, too." Takeru answered, before he made a serious expression on his face.

His three friends nodded in agreement, while Shade only gave a curt nod. Prof. Juniper and Looker understood his decision as Officer Jenny sighed, before giving in to their choices. "Alright then... But, I ask that you all be careful. We don't want a repeat of what happened when our helicopter got shot down... Understood?" Officer Jenny asked. "Right!" The four trainers agreed, with Shade and Prof. Juniper nodding in agreement.

"Officer Looker, I leave them all in your care." Officer Jenny said as she stepped off the jeep to head to the police station. "I'll do my best, Officer Jenny." Looker assured as he got off of his jeep, too. With the agreement settled, Officer Jenny headed back to the police station, where she would call for some backup, just in case if trouble would occur around the city.

Meanwhile, everyone that is involved in the infiltration started to get to work.

**Later...**

Shade was still in his combat outfit and his half-face mask, but he wore a cloak to hidden his outfit, so he could look mysterious to the party guests. Cilan had his Connoisseur outfit on, but with a lime green half-face mask on. Prof. Juniper wore an elegant dress, while wearing a mask that looked colorful, with feathers at the sides. Looker wore the same outfit, but with a cloak and a black-white half-face mask as well.

Takeru received some combat clothes from Shade to hide himself in the party crowd. He now wore black combat boots, black trench coat, black leather pants, long-sleeved black shirt, and black fingerless gloves. Simply put, he looked like he was ready for a burial ceremony! He wore a black half-face mask to cover his face too, except his mouth and nose. "Black, huh... Reminds me of Zekrom." Takeru thought with a chuckle.

He turned to Riolu, who was hidden inside his trench coat. The Emanation Pokémon struggled to open his eyes and see his human brother, who was now wearing a mask. "B-Big... bro...?" Riolu said weakly, as Takeru gaped a little before he embraced his Pokémon brother. "Shh... This will be over soon, Riolu... I promise." Takeru assured, softening his hug, as Riolu weakly hugged back, before nodding.

"Mm hm... I know that, because... I trust you... Takeru." Riolu said weakly, before he fell back asleep. Takeru smiled back softly, despite of feeling hurt as this didn't go unnoticed by Shade, as he witnessed the two sharing their brotherly moments together. He bit his lips, before turning back to the building to focus on the mission. Ash and Iris didn't wear anything, as they would sneak inside the building while trying not to get caught.

"Are you two sure about this?" Cilan asked, still unsure of their decision to sneak in. "Yeah... Don't worry about us, Cilan! We'll be fine!" Ash assured. "Yeah! You just leave the stealth part to us!" Iris assured. "Axew ew!" Axew agreed with a smile. Looker nodded in agreement as he turned to Takeru, Cilan, Shade, and Prof. Juniper. "Alright then... Let's go!" Looker called. "Right!" The four all agreed together.

So, with everything prepared, the operation to stop Team Rocket began.

Soon, the five wearing their masks and outfits made it to the party room, where the room was crowded, and people were talking to each other. Everyone wore masks on their faces, which proved to be a true masquerade party. Cilan gulped, feeling nervous about this. "Are you sure this is going to work, Officer Looker? How do we know if Team Rocket would ever show up?" Cilan asked, now unsure about the idea.

"We saw their helicopter on top of their building, so we can be rest assured that they would crash in this party." Looker assured, as Shade looked around. He focused his aura to find any malicious aura around, until he found a few, far back near the glass windows. "I found them..." Shade hissed as he pointed to the way. Cilan, Takeru, Prof. Juniper, and Looker turned their attention to where Shade was pointing and nodded together.

They stealthily moved to where they were and noticed who had crashed rhe party. Jessie, James, and Meowth were there! An old looking professor was there too, along with a long haired man that seemed to be allies with the evil trio. And last but not least, there was a serious looking man who seemed to be taking charge of the group. Shade immediately knew who this was. "Giovanni... The leader of Team Rocket..." Shade pointed out.

"There is no mistake, then... They should be revealing their plans soon." Looker said silently. And he was right, as Giovanni began to walk up to the stage podium. He cleared his throat, before he caught everyone's attention as he gave off an evil smirk. "Greetings, people of the Unova region! I am Giovanni, leader of the Kanto region based organization called Team Rocket!" Giovanni said out loud.

Everyone then began to talk to one another, as most of them were puzzled of who Team Rocket was. Takeru, Shade, Cilan, Prof. Juniper, and Looker only glared at the Team Rocket boss as Giovanni continued on with his speech. "We are here to inform you of this... to declare that we, Team Rocket, have plans to take over the Unova region!" Giovanni snapped, causing gasps from other people as they now started to get worried.

"Take over Unova...?" One wealthy man repeated in confusion. "What could he mean...? And how does he plan to do that...!?" A wealthy woman shrieked silently, until Giovanni continued on. "We have a way to do so... with this! The legendary discovery we have made from the Desert Resort! The Meteonite!" Giovanni declared as part of the floor opened up to reveal the case of the glowing Meteonite.

Everyone gasped to see the glowing stone as they were more worried words and murmurs, causing Giovanni to smirk. Takeru on the other hand, clenched his fists, until he felt something squirming inside his coat. He looked to see Riolu gasping and moaning, but quiet enough to not get any unwanted attention. The Nuvema boy widened his eyes as he tried to comfort his Fighting Type partner.

"Riolu... Shhh! Shhh! What's going on!? What's wrong!?" Takeru asked silently, as Riolu struggled to speak properly. _"It's... It's that... Meteonite... big bro... It's... It's hurting my head and body somehow!"_ Riolu groaned loudly, but enough to get unwanted attention. Takeru widened his eyes under his half-face mask as Shade noticed the two struggling to keep quiet as he gritted his teeth.

"Tch... This is not good... If that Meteonite is the reason for both Pikachu and Riolu's struggles... then it'll give us away! But... what kind of power does that Meteonite have to cause so much pain!?" Shade thought angrily as he glared to where Giovanni kept talking. For Takeru, he tried to keep Riolu down, until he felt someone bumping into him from behind, causing the Nuvema boy to turn to see a girl that was shorter than him.

She had a light-blue mask, with small snowflakes pictures on them. She looked younger than Takeru, as she seemed to be in a hurry. "Eek! Ah... Sorry... I... I wasn't watching where I was going..." The girl shrieked silently, as the Nuvema boy stopped. His eyes widened under the mask as he opened his mouth in shock. He knew whose voice that was... even when it was a few years ago. "M-M-Mana...? Is that... you?" Takeru stuttered.

Stunned by the person knowing her name, the nine year old girl frowned under her mask as she confirmed it with a nod. "Um... Yes? How do you know..." Mana started, until she widened her eyes, before she realized on who she was talking to. "N-No way... Big brother... Takeru...!?" Mana gasped silently, which Takeru nodded on. "Y-Yeah... it's me..." Takeru confirmed silently, which caught Riolu's surprise.

The Emanation Pokémon weakly turned to see the masked girl, as he scanned her with his aura. Sure enough, to his surprise, this was Mana Yamada. Takeru's little sister. Shade noticed this as he gasped under his breath. "Mana...!? What is she...!?" Shade gasped, until the lights blinked off all of a sudden. Everyone looked up in shock to see that the lights was off as Giovanni seemed stunned, too.

Before anyone could react, a flash of light appeared from the glass windows, catching everyone's attention as they turned to see a helicopter flying right next to them! "Argh! What the!?" Looker gasped as he noticed the symbol on the helicopter. It had a P with a cross on the letter. "It's them!" Shade snapped angrily as an unknown grunt took out a Pokéball. "Go, Liepard! Use Hyper Beam!" The grunt called.

As soon as the Cruel Pokémon came out, it shot a Hyper Beam attack at the party room, causing the windows to shatter and the people to scream as they all tried to dodge the surprise attack. "MANA! RIOLU! GET DOWN!" Takeru bellowed as he took his little sister and Emanation Pokémon down to the ground to evade the Hyper Beam attack. "EEEEK!" Mana screamed as she was forced down by her older brother.

Once the Hyper Beam was finished, the smoke cleared to show that the glass windows were completely destroyed with the roof being destroyed as well, leaving the captured Meteonite wide open! At that moment, the helicopter went up, until several hooks came by to snatch the Meteonite away! Giovanni groaned as he stood up, recovering from the sudden attack! "Boss!" Jessie, James, and Meowth called in shock.

They ran over to their boss as Giovanni stood up to see the Meteonite being stolen from him! "ARGH! NO! I must have the Meteonite to have whatever is necessary to take over Unova!" Giovanni bellowed angrily. As he yelled, the same grunt peeked out of the helicopter doors, before he smirked. "This Meteonite has no need for you, but for us, Team Plasma!" The grunt declared arrogantly.

"What!? Team Plasma!?" Giovanni repeated in shock as the helicopter began to fly away. "Argh, no! The Meteonite! We cannot let them get away with that!" Giovanni snapped as he turned to the evil trio. "You three! I'm counting you all to retrieve the Meteonite back from those buffoons! We cannot let our plan to rule the Unova region be defeated!" Giovanni ordered angrily, as the three nodded in understanding.

"Sir!" The three cried out as they took out their jetpacks to flee the destroyed ball room. By that time, the old professor and the ally of Team Rocket reached Giovanni, urging him to escape with them, despite of the boss' reluctance. "If we stay here any longer, then it'll cause unwanted attention! We must leave, Giovanni!" The old professor ordered with reason. "Giovanni, sir!" The ally called along, feeling serious about this situation.

The boss of Team Rocket gritted his teeth in anger, before he finally gave in. "Argh... Very well... We shall retreat, and leave the Meteonite retrieval to those three!" Giovanni snapped as he hurried out of the destroyed room. With that said, the old professor and the ally followed, leaving everyone in the destroyed party room to slowly recover from the surprise attack.

Cilan, Looker, and Prof. Juniper stood up, recovering from the attack as their masks were destroyed from the blast. Shade managed to get up, all scratched up, but normal for a moment. "Urgh... Is everyone alright!?" Looker asked, looking around. As he asked, the people that were in the party all recovered from the blast, showing that none of them were ever hurt. But two weren't okay at all.

"Ngh..." Takeru groaned as he struggled to get up, as he had Mana and Riolu in his arms still. "Mana!" Shade snapped as he ran over to Takeru's little sister. "Takeru!? Are you alright!?" "Takeru!" Prof. Juniper and Cilan yelled together as the three ran over to the two unconscious siblings. "Mm... Mm..." Mana grunted as she opened her eyes to see that her mask was destroyed, allowing her to see perfectly.

Takeru slowly took off his mask to see that the room was destroyed, along with the windows and the roof. He was about to answer, until he felt Riolu gasping in pain even more._ "Argh... Ah... Ngh..."_ Riolu panted as he squirmed in his human brother's arms. "Ah!? Mana... Riolu!? Are you two..." Takeru started, until Riolu gasped even more. "Riolu!? Riolu!? Answer me!" Takeru snapped desperately as Riolu could only gasp and twitch in pain.

To be continued...

* * *

**Takeru's Team:**

**Riolu: (M): (Aura Sphere, Blaze Kick, ThunderPunch, Dig)**

**Deino: (M): (Dragon Rage, Headbutt, Bite, Incinerate)**

**Tranquill: (M): (Air Cutter, Gust, Roost, Aerial Ace)**

**Tepig: (M): (Flamethrower, Smog, Flame Charge, Rollout)**

**Zorua: (F): (Scratch, Leer, Pursuit, ?)**

**Darmanitan: (M): (Psychic, Bulk Up, Fire Punch, Flamethrower)**

With Prof. Juniper:

**Petilil: (F): (Magical Leaf, Stun Spore, Mega Drain, Sleep Powder)**

**Joltik: (M): (Electro Ball, Electroweb, String Shot, Signal Beam)**

Next chapters:

**Chapter 46: Team Rocket VS Team Plasma! Pt. 2**

**Chapter 47: Aura VS Art! Takeru's Promise!**

**Chapter 48: Swadloon VS Leavanny! Ash's Art!**

**Chapter 49: A Fishing Competition! Meet Rosa!**

**Chapter 50: A Fishing Scam for a Fishing Steal!**

**Next chapter preview:**

Giovanni: Why, you pathetic fools! That Meteonite does not belong to you! I need it to conquer the Unova region!

Ash: Pikachu, please stay strong! We're going to get rid of that thing for you so you can get back to normal!

Mana: Oh... My big brother... Please stay safe! I don't... I don't want anyone to get hurt by this Meteonite crisis!

Takeru: Mana... Little sis. Alright. Riolu, we're going after them! No more holding back! **Tao Form Transformation**, GO!

Plasma Grunt: We will not allow you to use the Meteonite when it's our needs to liberate the Pokémon!

Shade: Liberate, my foot! That Meteonite will be destroyed even if it means by force...! Huh? This white necklace!?


	46. Team Rocket VS Team Plasma! Pt 2

**Chapter 46: ****Team Rocket VS Team Plasma! Pt. 2**

Last time on "Pokémon Unova Journey", Mana, Sarah, and Pierce were shot down by a group of Team Rocket members, as Mana fought them to let her two comrades to get going to find Team Rocket as she revealed herself to be quite a fighter.

Meanwhile, Takeru, Ash, Shade, Iris, Cilan, Prof. Juniper, and Officer Jenny were riding on another helicopter to find the source of the strong energy waves from the Desert Resort.

However, just like with the three Dire Wolves members, they were shot down by a mysterious organization, whom Shade somehow recognized as anger rushed into his body as he challenged the mysterious members, only for the three members to escape, as Shade contacted Pierce for some backup, while mentioning Mana in the process, as this news shocked the Nuvema boy.

Refusing to trust Shade or the Dire Wolves for Mana's safety, Takeru decided to distance himself from Shade as Officer Jenny ordered the group to head back to Castelia City. But in the way there, they were sidetracked by their persistent stalker, Krokorok, who challenged Pikachu and Riolu to a battle, which ended in the starters' win, but they ended up getting injured in the process.

As they approached the city, the group were confronted by Shade, Prof. Juniper, and Officer Jenny, along with Ash's comrades from Sinnoh: Officer Looker from the International Police. When discovering that the helicopter that Looker was pursuing belonged to Team Rocket, the group made chase to the helicopter, until it stopped at a building, where Officer Jenny explains about a masquerade party occurring there.

Determined to stop Team Rocket, everyone prepared for an operation to eavesdrop Giovanni's plan for Unova, as Ash and Iris planned to stealthily sneak inside, while Takeru, Shade, Looker, Cilan, and Prof. Juniper would disguise themselves to get there. But, as Giovanni starts to explain his intentions for Unova, a blackout occurs from the same organization that had attacked Takeru and the others!

Reuniting with Mana, the Nuvema boy was now in despair at seeing his little sister harmed from the surprise attack of Team Plasma, as they had stolen the Meteonite from Team Rocket's hands. Seeing his enemies get away, Giovanni escaped, as he ordered Jessie, James, and Meowth to retrieve the Meteonite.

As the current destruction was over, Takeru was currently in a desperate situation, as Riolu has his condition even worse than ever, due to the Meteonite's power affecting his body and mind.

* * *

Takeru slowly took off his mask to see that the room was destroyed, along with the windows and the roof. He was about to answer, until he felt Riolu gasping in pain even more._ "Argh... Ah... Ngh..."_ Riolu panted as he squirmed in his human brother's arms. "Ah!? Mana... Riolu!? Are you two..." Takeru started, until Riolu gasped even more.

"Riolu!? Riolu!? Answer me!" Takeru snapped desperately as Riolu could only gasp and twitch in pain. _"Ngh... Ugh... It... hurts..."_ Riolu groaned as his body suddenly glowed for a moment, before it flashed on and off, shocking the Nuvema boy in the process. "Riolu...?" Takeru asked in concern.

Prof. Juniper ran over to check the Emanation Pokémon as the Nuvema boy frowned at the Unova Professor. "Professor... Is Riolu...?" Takeru asked, as Prof. Juniper could only frown. "I... don't know what this is... This isn't illness or any kinds of disease... It's... It's more likely..." Prof. Juniper started, as Shade finished it for her.

"It's more likely due to the Meteonite affecting him... His body, his health, and his mind." Shade said sternly, as he kept holding Mana in his arms. The Nuvema boy gritted his teeth as he stood up, looking at the direction to where Team Plasma had escaped off to. At that time, Officer Jenny and her men ran in, as they ran over to the people that were injured.

"Is everyone alright!?" Officer Jenny asked as Prof. Juniper rose up slowly, making her answer. "Yes, were fine... But both Team Plasma and Team Rocket escaped, and the Meteonite is currently in Team Plasma's hands." Prof. Juniper explained as the officer frowned, realizing that the two criminal organizations had escaped once again.

"Drat! And to think we almost had them here!" Officer Jenny snapped as Ash and Iris came in, with the Kanto trainer holding Pikachu in his arms. Like with Riolu, Pikachu didn't seem to look so well, too. Cilan ran over to his two friends, checking up on them. "Ash! Iris! What happened!?" Cilan asked as Ash frowned.

"We were caught by some Team Rocket members. We were almost knocked down, until Pikachu chased them away. But... right after that, Pikachu started to act weird. It was like... he couldn't control his electricity at all." Ash explained nervously. His words were proven to be true as the Electric Type started to squirm in his arms.

"Cilan... Takeru, do you two know what's going on?" Iris asked as the Nuvema boy bit his lips, before he made his answer. "Team Rocket went after Team Plasma, as they had stole the Meteonite right under our eyes." Takeru explained, causing both Ash and Iris to widen their eyes in shock and disbelief.

"What!? What are we going to do now!?" Iris shrieked as Shade walked up, with Mana in his arms. "We should follow to where they are going right now. My two comrades are in Desert Resort right now. They should know if one of those groups arrive." Shade explained as Mana groaned, starting to wake up from her short, but uncomfortable nap.

"Mm... What... happened?" Mana asked as she looked up to see Shade holding her, causing Takeru's little sister to blush and jump out of her best friend's arms. "Eek! Shade! I'm... I'm so sorry!" Mana shrieked, causing the Shadow Demon to sweat drop and shake his head. "N-No, it's fine." Shade said, as Takeru glared at him.

He walked over to his sister, looking at her closely. "Mana, are you okay?" Takeru asked, as the Yamada girl looked at her brother once again, before she smiled tearfully and nodded in assurance. "Mm hm... I'm fine... big brother." Mana said softly, catching Ash, Iris, and Cilan all by surprise. "You're Takeru's sister?" Cilan asked in surprise.

"Yes... And you must be big brother's friends, yes?" Mana asked, which Ash and Iris nodded to. Takeru nodded as well, before he turned to Mana with a stern look on his face. "Mana, what were you doing here in the first place?! Do you know how much danger you were in!?" Takeru scolded as the little sister frowned, before nodding in agreement.

"I-I know, but... I just had to do it. I couldn't let the bad guys get away with taking over the Unova region. That big rock, or the Meteonite is the cause of all the phenomena going on, right? I just... couldn't stand by and watch this all happen." Mana explained clearly, as Shade placed a hand over her left shoulder for comfort.

Noricing this, the Nuvema boy turned his glare at Shade, who only glared back under his mask as Takeru shook his head. "You... You told her to do this, didn't you!? Because it was all some sort of a mission that needed to be succeeded!?" Takeru snapped as Shade countered back with his own words, involving Mana with this.

"You don't remember? It was never my decision. Pierce, Sarah, and I had already told you back at the Desert. This was her choice. Her choice to become involved in the danger that we didn't want her to be part. Her choice to go along the path while attempting to overcome the difficult obstacles that stands in her way." Shade said harshly.

Takeru could only glare back at the Shadow Demon until Iris broke it up, along with Cilan. "Um, I'm sure you two have many other things to argue about, but right now... this isn't the time to do so! They're getting away with the Meteonite right now, can't you both see!?" Iris snapped, catching both Takeru and Shade by surprise as they soon dropped their act.

At the same time, a beeping noise came from Shade's Xtransciever as he answered it, which the caller was revealed to be Sarah. "Shade. Team Plasma... They're heading this way, with the Meteonite! And they're not the only ones..." Sarah explained as Pierce explained the second part of the details.

"Yeah... What Sarah said, some Team Rocket members are going after them! There are two members, and a Meowth chasing after the group." Pierce explained as Ash recognized those members. "It's those three again!" Ash gasped as Pikachu wriggled in his arms again. "P-Pika..." Pikachu groaned as he felt something painful going through his head.

"Pikachu...!" Ash gasped as Riolu started to do the same in the Nuvema boy's arms. _"Ah... Ah... ARGH!"_ Riolu cried out in pain, catching Takeru by surprise as he looked down at his Fighting Type starter. "Riolu..." Takeru said breathlessly, as Shade frowned. "Looks like the Meteonite's power is affecting their minds and body already." Shade said with gritted teeth.

"So then, what are we supposed to do!?" Ash demanded, as Looker had the answer for that. "We'll chase after Team Plasma and Team Rocket! If the Meteonite is the cause for all the disasters going on, then it needs to be destroyed." Looker explained as he turned to Officer Jenny with a favor for her.

"Officer Jenny, may I ask that you evacuate all the people out of this building? Whatever happens may not be safe anymore." requested Looker, as Officer Jenny nodded in agreement. "Alright then. I'm counting on you to keep the kids and the Professor safe, Officer Looker." Officer Jenny said, which Looker nodded at.

"I will." Looker said, allowing the officer to evacuate the people that were in the masquerade party. There were murmurs and worries from the people, as they commented and talked about what had happened just now, and the part where Giovanni talked in his speech about his plans to take over the Unova region.

Once most people were gone, Looker turned to the four trainers, Mana, Shade, and Prof. Juniper. "We'll get on my jeep. We have to Cade after Team Plasma and Team Rocket before one of them succeeds in their plan." Looker said as everyone nodded together in agreement. "Right!" They all said as they prepared to leave.

A few minutes later, Takeru, Mana, Cilan, and Prof. Juniper all changed back into their original clothes as Shade kept his outfit on, as this was his outdoor fighting outfit, in case if he needed to fight alongside his Pokémon or not. While everyone was ready, both Ash and Takeru kept hold of Riolu and Pikachu, as the two starters were still struggling in pain.

"Pikachu, hang in there..." "Riolu, stay strong..." It was all the boys could say to their starters, both hoping that their starters would make it before they really collapsed from the Meteonite's energy influencing them.

**Meanwhile...**

Pierce and Sarah were making their ways across the Desert Resort, while preparing to confront the two organizations if they needed to as they were still chasing after the two to prevent any more conflicts and disasters that's already happening in not just Castelia City, but the whole Unova region, as well.

As they were running, Pierce turned to Sarah, making a reminder to her. "Hey, you sure we won't need any reinforcements? I mean, we don't have any Pokémon with us, so we could be outnumbered by the time we catch up to them!" Pierce asked as Sarah rolled her eyes at the question as she gave Pierce a stern look.

"You really didn't notice while we were investigating here? I already called for backup to help the police take care of the people that were injured from that crash of the masquerade party. Further, I'm giving the second backup the signal whether we need their help or not." Sarah explained seriously, causing Pierce to flinch and sigh.

"Yeah, yeah... You always plan ahead, I get that." Pierce sighed, seeing how he was behind his comrade. As the small, but bitter conversation had ended, the two Dire Wolf members noticed a large light coming from ahead. As they noticed this, another strong energy wave nearly knocked the two down, much to their surprise.

"What the...!? What was that just now!?" Pierce yelped, as Sarah stood up, narrowing her eyes in suspicion. "They must've prepared the Meteonite ready for their next part of the plan. We have to hurry!" Sarah said as she ran ahead, causing Pierce to widen his eyes as he struggled to chase after his comrade.

"Hey! Don't just leave me sitting here! Wait up!" Pierce complained as he ran too. The two of them ran as fast as they could as they were getting close to where Team Plasma was, along with the Meteonite. But, Team Plasma wasn't the only organization that was preparing to use the Meteonite for their own uses in the Unova region.

**To Team Plasma...**

The Meteonite was set on some sort of pedestal that was used to keep the Meteonite ready, as they were ready to make their plans work. Once the preparations were complete, the first grunt stepped up, turning to his comrades with some words to say.

"Alright! We will use this chance to use the Meteonite's power for all the Pokémon in the world! We shall make the Pokémon turn against humans, who enslaved the Pokémon to use as weapons and slaves! We will do whatever it takes to stop the humans that have only greed in their hearts!" The first grunt called out loud.

"Right!" The other grunts cried out their agreement, until a voice rose up, interrupting their preparations for the Meteonite plan. "Sorry, old chumps! But we're afraid that that's not going to happen!" James cried out loud, catching the Team Plasma members by surprise. They all turned to see the evil trio arriving with their jetpacks!

They landed on the ground, with James holding a weapon that seemed to look a cannon in front of them. "What the!? Who are you three!?" One of the grunts snapped angrily, as he pointed at them. At the question, Jessie and James smirked as they called out their mottos for their appearance.

"Exacting questions are good, indeed!"

"The answer to come, as we feel the need!"

"Bringing the blinding white light of evil into the future!"

"Thrusting the hammer of justice down onto the black darkness of the universe!"

"Carving our names in the Rock of Eternity!"

"The fiery destroyer, Jessie!"

"And with thunderous emotions, I am James!"

"Wisest of the wise, Meowth!"

"And now gather, under the name of Team Rocket!"

With the motto finished, the Team Plasma grunts glared at the evil trio, not liking their presence already. "Team Rocket!? I thought we lost you meddling creeps!" The first grunt snapped as Jessie sneered, while taking out a Pokéball. "You thought wrong, and now you're about to pay for messing with our plans to conquer the Unova region!" Jessie said out loud.

The first grunt stepped up, preparing to battle as he took out a Pokéball of his own. "Well, I don't think so! Liepard, let's go!" The grunt yelled as he summoned his evolved Dark Type Pokémon for battle. "Woobat, show them your stuff!" Jessie cried as she summoned her Psychic-Flying Type out for battle.

At that moment, the Meteonite started to rise, glowing brightly, which caught everyone's attention as they turned to the Meteonite. "Hey! What's going on!?" The second grunt gasped as the first grunt frowned. "It seems that when a battle had begun, the Meteonite starts to react, and will possibly grow intense as the battle goes intense, too." The first grunt explained.

The other grunts turned to their comrade in surprise as Jessie smirked in amusement. "Well then, this should be interesting. James, would you do the honors?" Jessie asked, as James held up the cannon with an evil smirk. "Will do, Jessie. Firing the cannon!" James called as he aimed the cannon at the glowing Meteonite.

Spotting him do that, the first grunt glared at him, as he attempted to stop him. "Don't you dare! Liepard, use Hyper Beam!" The grunt cried out loud. At the order, the Cruel Pokémon launched a Hyper Beam attack, as Jessie countered with Woobat at her side. "Woobat, counter them with Air Cutter!" shouted Jessie.

Flying in front of James, the Psychic-Flying Type shot the Air Cutter attack, which collided with the Hyper Beam, making a stalemate between the two attacks. "Hurry up, James! We've got no time to lose!" Meowth ordered, which James agreed on. "Agreed! Firing... NOW!" James yelled as he shot the cannon's fire at the Meteonite.

"No! Don't do it!" The second grunt yelled, only for his warning to be too late. The energy from the cannon made the hit, causing the Meteonite to glow even brighter! An energy wave startled the two organization grunts as it began to influence both Woobat and Liepard, causing the two Pokémon to grunt in pain as they felt the energy go inside them!

"Oh no! Liepard!" "Woobat, what's wrong!?" The first grunt and Jessie gasped as the two Pokémon focused on their battle, as they glared at each other. "I think that energy wave from the Meteonite made both Liepard and Woobat all juiced up!" Meowth explained, catching both Jessie and James by surprise as they turned back to face their opponents.

"Oh? Is that so?" James asked, as Jessie smirked. "Well then, this should be easy." Jessie said, as the grunt countered with his own words. "Don't think you've won yet! The energy wave influenced my Liepard, too! This, of course, makes both of our Pokémon's powers even! Liepard, attack!" The first grunt called.

"In that case, we'll strike back! Woobat, go!" Jessie shrieked. Once again, the two Pokémon charged at each other, both readying to strike at each other once more.

As the battle went on, Pierce and Sarah had arrived just in time to see the battle go on as Sarah contacted the Shadow Demon in her Xtransciever for updating news. "Shade, it looks like both Team Rocket and Team Plasma are fighting for the Meteonite! And... not only that, some sort of energy wave shot by and powered up their Pokémon!" Sarah explained.

**To Takeru and the others...**

Looker was driving on his jeep, with Prof. Juniper on his left. Ash, Shade, Takeru, Mana, Iris, and Cilan all struggled to fit in the back as they headed to where the Meteonite's location was. While they were going there, they were informed by Sarah about the battle between the two evil organizations.

"An energy wave? But, we didn't feel anything coming by, yet!" Shade said as Prof. Juniper took out her data pad and widened her eyes as she saw how much energy was coming out of the source. "The energy level from that wave is growing! It's spreading as we speak right now!" Prof. Juniper exclaimed in shock.

The four trainers and Mana all widened their eyes in shock as Looker called out a warning to his fellow passengers. "What the-! Incoming!" Looker yelled as everyone braced themselves as an energy wave nearly knocked them all back, while causing the jeep to nearly swerve at the same time. "Whoa!?" Ash yelped as he tried to keep steady on his seat.

"Prof. Juniper! Are we getting closer to the Meteonite!?" Shade asked as the Unova Professor frowned at her data pad. "Yes, it should be a few minutes before we get there." Prof. Juniper answered as Looker picked up speed, knowing that there's no time to waste. But as they were getting there, something shot out of nowhere!

Looker swerved his jeep to evade the attack as he stopped the vehicles with the brakes. Everyone all yelled in shock as they were startled by the sudden stop. "Officer Looker! What happened!?" Cilan asked as Looker gritted his teeth. "We have company! Hostile company, that is!" Looker explained, pointing at some Team Plasma grunts coming out!

They had their Pokémon: Liepard, Trubbish, and Watchog out, as they were ready to stop their enemies. Noticing them, Shade gritted his teeth as he got ready to get out of the car until Iris and Cilan got out first! "Iris! Cilan!? What are you guys doing!?" Ash gasped as the wild girl turned to the Kanto trainer with a serious look on her face.

"Get going! We'll handle these guys!" Iris said as Axew got out of her hair, getting ready to fight. "Right! You guys go on ahead! We'll keep them busy while you go on ahead!" Cilan called as he took out Pansage and Dwebble's Pokéball. "Wait! Those guys are stronger than they look! You two can't possibly think of defeating them so easily!?" Mana shrieked in concern.

"We know that! They could be stronger! But we have to try!" Iris said as she took out Excadrill's Pokéball. Takeru widened his eyes, as two of his close friends were using themselves as decoys to allow him and the others to pass through! Before he could say a word, Iris glanced at her friend, Looker, and the Unova Professor before she called out to them.

"Hurry! Move it!" Iris said, as Looker nodded in acceptance. "Alright! Be careful, you two!" Looker said as he drove the jeep away, attempting escape from the Plasma grunts. "Don't let them get away! Liepard, use Dark Pulse!" The third grunt cried out loud.

The Cruel Pokémon attempted to blast the jeep with the Dark Type move until Cilan countered by sending his two Pokémon out! "Oh no you don't! Pansage, use Bullet Seed! And Dwebble! You use X-Scissor!" Cilan called as his two Pokémon struck Liepard with their double attacks, knocking the Dark Type hard to the ground!

"Why you little brats...!" The second grunt snapped as Iris and Cilan only glared at them, both wanting to fight, despite of them being outnumbered.

* * *

Meanwhile, Looker drove his jeep, picking up speed as Prof. Juniper noticed the data of her data pad. "Just a few more minutes, and we'll be there!" Prof. Juniper said as Takeru looked up ahead. He took a closer look around to see if anything was around, only to see nothing until another surprise attack came by!

The attack missed the jeep by an inch as Looker once again swerved to a stop. "What now!?" Shade snapped as he noticed more Plasma grunts with their Pokéballs out! "We will not let you interfere with our plans, you meddling fools!" One grunt said as he got ready to fight, alongside with his two comrades.

"Patrat, let's go!" "Deino, come on out!" "Purrloin, it's your turn!" The three grunts called out loud. Three of their Pokémon appeared to fight as Shade felt his eyes twitch in anger as he got ready to get out of the jeep again, until someone else stepped out! It was Mana! She took out her flute, before splitting them into two daggers.

She also summoned Mika (Riolu) and Marie (Gothorita) out for battle, so they could assist her in their fight. "Mana!? What are you doing!?" Takeru gasped as he was shocked to see his sister putting herself in danger in the fight. "Big brother, go! I'll handle these goons! You have to go! For Castelia City... no... For Unova!" Mana said out loud.

The Nuvema boy glared at his younger sister, as he stood up, planning to get out. "Are you crazy!? There's no way I'm letting you put yourself in danger like that!" Takeru started to say until Shade grabbed his arm tightly, catching the Nuvema boy by surprise. "What the...!? What are you- Let go!" Takeru snapped angrily.

"Show some faith for your sister! If she say she can do it, then just let her! She had handled stuff like this before and was able to get out of it." Shade said harshly, earning a glare from the Nuvema boy as he pried himself off from the Shadow Demon's grip. He took another look at Mana, who smiled at him, requesting her older brother to trust her with this issue.

Seeing her determination and her resolve to fight, Takeru's face darkened before he looked up again, with his decision in mind. "Alright... Just... be careful, okay?" Takeru asked weakly, which the little sister nodded at. "I promise, big brother." Mana said softly, earning a nod from the Nuvema boy as he gave a nod to Looker and Prof. Juniper.

The International Police Officer nodded as he revved it up, moving the jeep away from the second battle, as the third grunt sneered at Mana, believing that she had made a foolish choice. "You really think you can beat all of us, little girl!?" The third grunt snapped as Mana turned to her opponents with an icy glare, before making her words.

"The only thing little about this girl, is her hesitance when in battle! I won't hold anything back, especially when up against you freaks!" Mana said sharply as Mika and Marie prepared to fight. The second grunt smirked in amusement before he called her Pokémon to attack. "Foolish girl... Deino, attack!" The second grunt shouted out loud.

"Mika, Marie! Get ready!" Mana said as she got ready to fight. Her two Pokémon nodded as they prepared to strike back against their opponents with their attacks ready.

* * *

Another energy wave startled Ash, Takeru, Shade, Prof. Juniper, and Looker as the jeep once again nearly swerved from the sudden blast. But this time, it seemed to be more powerful as it caused both Riolu and Pikachu to glow, startling both Ash and Takeru! "Ah!? Pikachu!?" "What is this... Riolu?" Both Ash and Takeru were shocked to see this happening to their starters.

Shade and Prof. Juniper also turned in shock to see Pikachu and Riolu glowing as the two opened their eyes, as the pain suddenly started to go away, like as if something was powering them up instead! "What's going on?" Ash asked as Prof. Juniper frowned. "It must be the work of the Meteonite..." Prof. Juniper guessed.

"But I thought the Meteonite was the reason both Pikachu and Riolu were sick, isn't that right, Professor!?" Takeru asked as Shade intercepted the question. "Yeah. It was... until something must've made the Meteonite give power to the Pokémon instead." Shade explained as both starters stood up in their trainers' laps.

"Pika Pika...?" _"What is this feeling...? It feels like I can run for miles and miles..."_ Both Pikachu and Riolu were looking at themselves, both questioning themselves on the feelings they're having right now. Suddenly, they jumped out of Ash and Takeru's laps, shocking them both as they watched both Pikachu and Riolu running besides the jeep!

This startled Looker as he was shocked to see two little Pokémon having nearly the same speed as his jeep. Before he could say anything however, another attack was blasted towards them, causing Looker to skid with his jeep! "Argh! Here we go again!" Ash grunted as he was getting frustrated with the constant interruptions.

The three trainers, Looker, and Prof. Juniper turned to see five Plasma grunts facing them with their Pokémon in front of them. "We don't know how you got past our two sections, but this is as far as you'll go!" One Plasma Grunt sneered with arrogance, annoying Shade as he felt the urge to attack them again, like he should have for the other two sections.

But at that moment, another attack was blasted, not aimed for the jeep however, but at the Plasma Grunts instead! The five grunts all yelled in surprise, startling Ash, Takeru, and Shade as they all turned to see masked trainers running with their weapons out and their Pokémon besides them! "Who are they?" Takeru asked with a frown.

"Heh... Reinforcements from the Dire Wolves HQ. Sarah must've called them earlier... And what perfect timing it is." Shade smirked as one of the Dire Wolves members called to Shade to keep moving. "Leader Shade! Please, leave this to us!" The member cried out loud, catching both Ash and Takeru by surprise as another member did the same.

"We'll keep them busy, while you and your comrades go on ahead! We're counting on you, Leader!" The second member said as Shade bit his lips before he nodded. He turned to his comrades, while saying his words to them.

"Alright... In that case, I'm counting on all of you to stall these creeps to give us enough time to stop this battle!" Shade called, as the Dire Wolves members cried out their calls. "Yes, sir!" The members shouted out loud as the Shadow Demon turned to Looker, giving him a nod to move on.

Feeling a little hesitant, Looker slowly nodded before he revved it up, moving his jeep once again, with Pikachu and Riolu following besides them. "Argh, no! Don't let them get away! Attack!" The first grunt cried out loud, as two of the Plasma Grunts targeted the moving jeep with their Watchogs. "

Use Thunderbolt!" The two grunts yelled, causing the two evolved Normal Types to launch their Electric attacks at the jeep. At seeing this, one of the Dire Wolves members countered back.

"Where do you think you're looking at!? We're your opponents, Team Plasma! Counter their attacks!" The first Dire Wolves member cried out loud, causing the other members to counterattack. "Use Flamethrower!" Four of the members yelled out loud, allowing their Heatmors and Simisear to blast their Fire Type attacks at the Thunderbolts.

The attacks all collided, creating an explosion as the first Plasma grunt glared at the Dire Wolves reinforcements. "Why, you..." The grunt hissed as the battle went on.

**Back to the Meteonite site...**

"Woobat, use Air Cutter once more!" Jessie shrieked as her Psychic-Flying Type shot sharp air at Liepard again, as the Plasma Grunt called his Cruel Pokémon to evade it. "Dodge it, Liepard! Then, use Iron Tail!" The grunt shouted out loud. Dodging the Flying Type attack with high speed, the Cruel Pokémon launched an Iron Tail towards Woobat!

"You dodge that as well!" Jessie said as the Steel Type attack missed, leaving Woobat unharmed.

While the battle went on, the Meteonite started to crackle electricity, glowing even brighter than ever! It became so bright that it looked like it could melt anything. At that time, Looker stopped his jeep, skidding it to a stop as Takeru, Ash, and Shade confronted both the evil trio and the remaining Team Plasma Grunts.

"Team Rocket! Team Plasma! Stop this right now!" Ash demanded, catching both the evil trio and the remaining members' attention. "What the!? How did you all get here!? What were those guards doing!?" One of the grunts snapped as James scoffed at seeing his old enemies. "Tch... It's the twerps." James grunted out loud.

"They couldn't have come in a bad timing as usual..." Meowth hissed as Takeru looked at the Meteonite that was floating high in the air. "Professor, that's it, right? The cause of all of this phenomenon?" Takeru asked as the Hnova Professor looked at her data pad, confirming the Nuvema boy's question with her answer.

"Yes. There's no doubt about it. That's the Meteonite!" Prof. Juniper exclaimed as James lifted his cannon again, before he aimed at the still glowing Meteonite. "If you think we're going to let you twerps stop this, think again! Firing cannon... NOW!" James yelled as he shot the cannon's power again right at the Meteonite!

"No! Don't do it! If you do it, you'll only cause more..." Looker yelled, but it was too late. With the power hitting the cannon, another energy wave came out, shocking everyone as it was even more intense than before! "It's even stronger than the last energy waves...!" Shade pointed out as he gritted his teeth.

"Shade!" Pierce called, catching the Shadow Demon's attention as he turned to see Pierce and Sarah run towards them, while also meeting Ash, Takeru, Prof. Juniper, and Looker. "You guys alright?" Sarah asked as Sade nodded in confirmation. "Yeah, we're fine... for now." Shade said as a beeping noise came from Looker's jacket pocket!

The International Police Officer picked it up and answered the call. "Yes? What is it?" Looker asked as Officer Jenny made the answer. "Officer Looker! It's terrible! The energy wave just now has damaged most of the buildings! Castelia City looks as if it's going to fall apart soon if this keeps up!" Officer Jenny explained desperately, shocking Looker.

"What!?" Looker gasped as Takeru glared at his enemies. "Officer Looker, we just have to destroy the Meteonite in order to stop this, right?" Takeru asked, catching the International Police Officer by surprise before he nodded in confirmation. "Yes, that's right." Looker said as the Nuvema boy turned to Ash. "Ash." called Takeru, catching the Kanto trainer's attention.

"Yeah?... What?... What?..." Ash asked as he waited for a response from his Unova friend until he knew what Takeru wanted as he nodded with a small grin on his face. "Okay, let's do it together!" Ash said, as he earned a nod back from Takeru.

Shade watched as the two boys were ready to fight their way to the Meteonite. "Pikachu! Let's do this!" "I'm counting on you to end this conflict, Riolu!" The two shouted out together as their starters turned back to their trainers with a smile and a nod on their faces. "Pika Pika!" _"You got it, big bro!"_ Pikachu and Riolu said together.

They turned to their enemies and the Meteonite as they got ready to fight. Knowing what the boys wanted, the Plasma Grunt turned his attention to the two boys. "No you don't, you little brats! Stop them, Liepard!" The grunt cried out loud. "Woobat, stop those twerps at once!" Jessie cried, pointing at both Riolu and Pikachu.

**"Tao Form Transformation, GO!"** Takeru yelled as he began to glow, using the necklace's powers that Zekrom had given him, surprising Prof. Juniper, Shade, Looker, Team Rocket, and Team Plasma! However, his form was a bit different than from his first original **Tao Form** powers.

Unlike his first **Tao Form**, this one looked like it was a representative for Zekrom! His hair was black, but his bangs were icy white. And his left dark-brown eyes was sky-blue, with a black tattoo shaping around his left eye. The tattoo looked like the head of a black dragon roaring, which could possibly be Zekrom's head shape.

Both his fingerless gloves were black with both of them having a yin-yang shape at the back of the gloves. His outfit of the Transformation were nearly completely black, the combat boots being black, with his jeans changing into black combat pants, and his shirt changing into black combat shirt. He even wore a black trench coat, too.

At seeing the changes of the **Tao Form Transformation**, the Kanto trainer was left gaping st his Unova friend in amazement. "Whoa, Takeru! What's with the change?" Ash asked, as the Nuvema boy shook his head with a frown. "Don't know... Must be the true **Tao Form** to represent Zekrom's powers..." Takeru explained silently.

He clenched his right fist to show blue electricity sparkle out of it. "This is amazing... To think that I am seeing **Tao Form** like this, when it came from the legends..." Prof. Juniper said in amazement. Shade, surprised to see the transformation for real was speechless, before he shook his head as he got ready to fight as well.

"What's with the twerp change?" Jessie asked as Meowth frowned. "It looks like he got himself tinkered with some new outfit. A dark outfit, to be exact..." Meowth said, making his comment as some of the Team Plasma grunts took a few steps back. "No way... I thought that was just a legend!" One grunt panicked out loud.

"Well, it's not anymore!" Another grunt said as the leader of the group gritted his teeth in annoyance. "Tch... It doesn't matter whether you have legendary powers or not! We will not let you interfere with our plans! Liepard, use Hyper Beam!" The Plasma Grunt yelled, pointing at his opponents.

At the upcoming attack, Ash called out to his Electric Type partner. "Here it comes, Pikachu! Use Quick Attack to dodge it!" "Riolu, you dodge it, too!" Ash and Takeru cried out together as their starters charged at Liepard, while dodging the Hyper Beam attack! "Liepard can't move after using Hyper Beam! Use Aura Sphere, let's go!" Takeru shouted out loud.

Responding to his human brother's command, the Emanation Pokémon launched an Aura Sphere at Liepard, knocking the Cruel Pokémon down! "No! Liepard!" The grunt gasped as Jessie made her turn. "Now, Woobat! Use Air Cutter!" Jessie called, pointing at Pikachu. "No you don't! Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Ash shouted out loud.

As Woobat launched an Air Cutter attack at Pikachu, the Electric Type dodged it and zapped the Psychic-Flying Type with his Electric Type attack! Jessie gritted her teeth before she returned Woobat as the grunts came in to help their fallen comrade. "We won't let you touch the Meteonite! Go, Sandile!" The grunt yelled.

All the grunts threw their Pokéballs out, summoning Sandile, Frillish, Trubbish, Patrat, and Watchog! But at that moment, another Aura Sphere was launched, exploding on Sandile and Watchog as a Night Daze attack blasted Frillish, Patrat, and Trubbish away! All the other grunts gasped to see their Pokémon falling in defeat so easily.

They returned their Pokémon as both Ash and Takeru turned to see Shade with Ryuu and Chikage at his side. "Shade!?" Ash asked as the Shadow Demon glared at the two. "Don't just stand there, you two! Destroy the Meteonite!" Shade yelled out loud, enough to make the Kanto trainer and the Nuvema boy to move as they ran over to it.

"No! Stop them!" The leader of the grunts yelled as more grunts came out! These grunts had metal pipes and staffs, as they were ready to fight the two boys and their Pokémon to prevent them from getting any closer! Annoyed with the reinforcements, the Nuvema boy charged up his hands with blue electricity as he ran to attack.

"Get out of our way!" Takeru snapped as he slammed some of the grunts away with his Electric fists, causing some of them to yell in pain, while some got out of the way. But before they could counter Takeru's assault, two more people came in, striking the grunts to the ground! "What the-!?" Ash yelped, as Shade smirked at his two comrades' arrivals.

"Well, you two are late to the party..." teased Shade as Pierce huffed at that. "Hey, you guys had the jeep! We had to run, you know!" Pierce snapped back, before he huffed as Sarah returned to the situation. "Can't you two argue later!? We've got a dangerous being to destroy first!" Sarah snapped, pointing at the Meteonite.

"We won't let you destroy the Meteonite! Attack! Keep attacking!" The Plasma Grunt yelled, as more grunts came in to attack the Dire Wolves, Ash, and Takeru! But before any of them could land an attack, Sarah took out her sais, and paralyzed her attackers with them, causing some to yell in pain!

Pierce on the other hand, ran with a gun in his hand as he shot some of the grunts, shooting them by their legs and arms to prevent them from using their weapons or to move! Despite of the organization being their enemies, the Dire Wolves weren't people that would kill. They would wound, so that they could leave the enemies to be arrested by the police.

At seeing his comrades fall, the Plasma Grunt clenched his fists as one of the Grunts called to ask their leader for a retreat. "Sir! Our men are being taken down by some Pokémon Trainers! We believe that the guards have been defeated!" The grunt said, shocking the Plasma Grunt as he glared at his comrade.

Hearing this, Ash grinned, knowing what this could mean. "Cilan, Iris, and Mana... They did it! And the Dire Wolves, too!" Ash exclaimed, causing Takeru to sigh and smile in relief as the leader was in disbelief, as frustration came to his mind for their failure to complete their mission.

"What!?" The Grunt snapped as the grunt continued on. "At this rate, we'll all be taken down if we don't leave now! I know that the Meteonite is important for our goals, but with the way we're outnumbered, we can't achieve victory like this! We must leave!" The Grunt said as the leader gritted his teeth, before he gave in with a sigh.

"Very well... We shall retreat for now!" The grunt said as all the remaining grunts ran inside the helicopter. Some helped their wounded comrades to get inside, as the doors shut, allowing the helicopter to move up in the air. "Oh no! They're escaping!" Prof. Juniper gasped as Shade turned to Ryuu and Chikage to order an attack!

"Damnit! Ryuu, Aura Sphere! And Chikage, you use Night Daze!" Shade yelled as his two partners launched their strongest attacks at the helicopter, only for the two attacks to miss, allowing Unova's evil organization to retreat successfully.

Seeing the Unova's organization escape, Jessie, James, and Meowth knew that they have no chance for how as they prepared to make their escape, too. "Team, retreat!" Jessie said, earning a nod from both James and Meowth. "Team Rocket, where are you going!?" Ash snapped, as James only threw a smoke ball, creating a smokescreen!

Everyone gasped in surprise as the smoke cleared to show the evil trio escaping with their jetpacks as they looked down at both Ash and Takeru. "Next time, twerps... That Pikachu and Riolu of yours will be ours!" Jessie snapped. "You may have won this fight, but you haven't won the war yet!" James added along.

"And soon, one day, the Unova Region will be conquered by us, Team Rocket!" Meowth added with an evil sneer. With that said, they made their escape, as Sarah gritted her teeth. "This is bad. The two organizations escaped from our grasp..." Sarah hissed angrily as Takeru glared to where the evil trio had escaped.

But at that moment, another energy wave was blasted at the group and the Dire Wolves! Everyone yelled in surprise as they were knocked to the ground as the Unova Professor checked her datapad. "This isn't good! The energy wave is much stronger than the last time!" Prof. Juniper grunted as Looker heard his phone ringing again.

As he picked it up, Officer Jenny made her desperate call again. "Officer Looker! Castelia City is starting to go in ruins! If this keeps up, the whole city might collapse into complete ruins if we don't stop this conflict now!" Officer Jenny explained, shocking Looker as he gritted his teeth, while facing the Meteonite.

"Understood, Officer! We're right in front of it! We're going to take care of it right- What!?" Looker started before he gasped. Ash, Pierce, Shade, Takeru, Sarah, and Prof. Juniper all turned in shock to see the Meteonite rising up, higher than before! Then, it began to glow brighter, causing Riolu and Pikachu to lose their temporary given powers, to their surprise.

"What is this...? What's going on with the Meteonite?!" Takeru snapped as Prof. Juniper checked her datapad again, only to widen her eyes in disbelief. "The Meteonite's energy wave... It's going berserk! The energy levels are going higher and higher as we speak!" Prof. Juniper exclaimed in shock, surprising the others.

"Then, isn't there any way we can do to stop it!?" Pierce yelled desperately as the Meteonite glowed even brighter, enough to blind everyone and their Pokémon as they shut their eyes tight, until the light had disappeared.

Shade was the first to open his green eyes under his mask as he widened his eyes before he took several steps back in shock and disbelief. "No... freaking... way... That's... the Meteonite?" Shade breathed out in disbelief as everyone looked to see where the leader of the Dire Wolves was looking at!

What was once a Meteonite took place as a creature made of crystal, who glared at the humans and their Pokémon, as if it was planning to destroy them in one hit. "What... What is that thing?" Pierce asked as Prof. Juniper looked at her datapad. It only showed unknown on the datapad, causing her to frown in confusion.

"I'm getting nothing here! It must be something that not even we know..." Prof. Juniper answered as Ash and Takeru looked up at the Meteonite creature, who roared at the humans and their Pokémon. It raised its giant crystal fist, aiming to strike at the small obstacles standing in its way! "Everyone! Look out!" Sarah screamed.

As the fist slammed into the ground, everyone yelled as they managed to dodge out of the way as the impact knocked the jeep over! Recovering from the impact, Pikachu, Riolu, Ryuu, and Chikage all glared at the crystal creature. Standing up, Ash and Takeru got ready to fight, with Shade at their side.

"Guess we've got no choice! Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Ash yelled, pointing st the Meteonite creature. "Riolu, use Aura Sphere!" Takeru cried along. "Tch... Ryuu, Aura Sphere! And Chikage, you use Night Daze! Full power!" Shade yelled, punching his fist towards the crystal-like creature.

But as the four attacks hit, the smoke cleared to show that the creature seemed unharmed! "No way!" Ash gasped. "None of the attacks worked!?" Takeru yelled in shock as Pierce, Sarah, Looker, and Prof. Juniper were deeply in shock, too. "No way... If Pokémon moves won't work, then what will!?" Piece asked in shock.

No one had an answer for that, until Takeru had an idea... a very stupid, risky, but a doable idea. He looked at himself, then towards his fists as they crackled a little with electricity once again. Without warning the others, the Nuvema boy charged at the crystal-like creature, shocking Riolu in the process.

_"Big bro!? What are you- No! Don't do it, brother!"_ Riolu shrieked as he discovered on what his human brother was planning to do with his Tao Form powers. Ash noticed this too and widened his eyes as he tried to stop his Unova friend. "Takeru, no! It's too dangerous!" Ash yelled as Shade gritted his teeth in annoyance.

"That idiot!" Shade snapped as he ran after the Nuvema boy. Prof. Juniper stood up and called for Takeru, worried about his safety. "Takeru, don't do it! It's too reckless to just attack it head on!" Prof. Juniper yelled, only for her words to come too late as Takeru jumped to attack the crystal-like creature with the electricity in his fist!

"I won't let you destroy Castelia City or any parts of the Unova region, you monster!" Takeru yelled as he slammed his fist on the creature, only for the creature to block his attack with its right arm, as it used its left arm to strike at the Nuvema boy! Seeing this, Takeru dodged the attack in time, as he fell and rolled on the ground to evade any more attacks.

"Tch... It didn't work? Then, how about this!?" Takeru yelled as he slammed his fists on the ground. Electricity crackled on the ground, connecting its way towards the creature as the Meteonite creature roared in pain from the electricity shocking it, as Sarah was surprised to see this kind of attack working.

"The electric attack on the ground is working?" Sarah breathed out in disbelief as Pierce smirked. "I gotta tell you guys... For a kid, he's got guts to take on a colossal monster like that!" Pierce said as he took out his guns, before continuing on. "But, this doesn't mean that he can defeat it alone, right?" Pierce asked as he turned to Sarah.

Seeing him glance at her, Sarah sighed, befor making her agreement. "I guess you're right." Sarah said as she took out her weapon, too. Shade stopped to see the creature paralyzed for a moment before he called for his two partners. "Ryuu! Chikage! Get ready to launch your attacks!" Shade said, as his two Pokémon nodded as they prepared themselves for an attack.

Ash grew silent, before he turned to Pikchu, who nodded to him, knowing what his human friend was thinking about. The Kanto trainer nodded back as he turned to his Unova friend, who was holding the creature back with his powers. "Pikachu, let's help Takeru and the others with this!" Ash exclaimed as he twisted his cap backwards.

"Pika!" Pikachu agreed as he got ready to fight. Looker and Prof. Juniper both looked in amazement to see such young kids and Trainers attempting to bring the destructive monster down, despite of them possibly having no chance against it. Riolu on the other hand, took a deep breath, before he got ready to fight, too.

_"If big bro Takeru is going to fight that thing... Then, I can't back down! I have to fight, too!"_ Riolu said as he ran for his human brother. But just as everyone got ready to fight, the crystal-like monster roared as it used its right crystal arm to slam Takeru away, causing the Nuvema boy to widen his eyes and pale.

The impact of the attack was so strong, it could've caused Takeru to pass out immediately. But, thanks to **Tao Form's **powers, the Nuvema boy landed on his feet, while skidding on the ground as he noticed that his trench coat had a large rip near his chest. He gritted his teeth in annoyance before he glared back st the monster.

_"Brother!?"_ Riolu gasped as he ran over to his human brother, as Takeru met his eyes with his Emanation Pokémon._ "Brother... are you okay?" _Riolu asked as the Nufema boy smiled, seeing how concerned Riolu was for him. "Yeah... a bit scratched up, but I'm fine." Takeru said with a grunt.

He slowly got up, only for Shade to place a hand on his left shoulder, catching the Nuvema boy by surprise. "Stay out of this one. I'll finish this." Shade said harshly, surprising Takeru as the Shadow Demon focused his Aura powers at the crystal-like creature. He glanced at both Sarah and Pierce, giving them both a nod.

Seeing his signal, the two Dire Wolves members nodded back as they were ready for his command. Right at that moment, the crystal-like monster roared as it raised its giant fist to attack, which was the same time Shade gave the command. "Do it now! Pierce! Sarah!" Shade yelled as his hands glowed dark.

Sarah took out her compact bow and arrow, before she shot some arrows at the creature. As some arrows landed on it, the arrows exploded, startling the creature as Pierce shot his gun at the crystal-like creature. "Okay, Shade! Now!" Pierce called, allowing the Shadow Demon to make his move. "Let's do it! **Shadow's Ink**!" Shade cried out loud.

He focused on his Shadow powers, as darkness crept on the ground like a shadow before it make contact with the Meteonite monster! "Whoa!? What was that!?" Ash exclaimed as Pierce explained. "One of Shade's powers: Shadow's Ink! When anything or anyone touches it, then the target is left unable to move for a while until they recover!" Pierce explained with a smirk.

This left Ash amazed, before he turned to Pikachu. The Electric Type Pokémon nodded as he pointed towards the crystal-like creature. "Now, Pikachu! Use Electro Ball!" Ash cried out loud. "Riolu, you use Aura Sphere! Knock it down with one blow!" Takeru yelled, before he winced in pain a little, due to the pain he felt from the last attack.

At the orders, both Pikachu and Riolu shot their special attacks at the Meteonite monster, as the two moves combined, exploding on the Meteonite monster! "Yeah! That's how you do it!" "Pika!" Ash exclaimed as Pikachu grinned. Looker and Prof. Juniper smiled, both believing that the combined attacks were a success.

By that time, Iris, Cilan, Mana, and the Dire Wolves reinforcements arrived, as they all came just in time to see the Meteonite creature be 'taken down' by Sarah, Shade, Ash, Pierce, and Takeru! "Whoa! What's going on?" Iris asked in surprise. "I think... they destroyed the Meteonite!" Cilan guessed with a small smile on his face.

At hearing this, the Dire Wolves members all began to cheer for their possible victory, while Mana smiled happily, before she noticed something off. She widened her eyes as she tried to warn her comrades. "Ah... Oh no! Shade! Pierce and Sarah! Get out of there right now!" Mana shrieked, catching the three Dire Wolves members by surprise!

Before they could react to the monster recovering, the Meteonite creature slammed its fist on the ground, attempting to blast Shade, Pierce, and Sarah into the air! Countering it, Shade tried to absorb the attack to send it right back! "Tch! How annoying! **Death's Judgement**! HAH!" Shade yelled as he blocked the impact of the attack.

The strong attack caused the leader of the Dire Wolves to skid back on the ground as Sarah and Pierce ran behind him to support their friend as they held his back to keep him on his feet! "Argh! No... good!... It's... too... strong!" Shade grunted in pain, as Mana and the other Dire Wolves members gasped.

They all watched as their leader and their two lieutenants were knocked away by the attack, as Death's Judgement had failed to counter the crystal-like creature's attack! "AHHHHHHH!" Shade, Sarah, and Pierce all screamed as they were knocked away onto the sand! Ryuu and Chikage were also blasted away, due to the impact being so strong!

Takeru and Ash were knocked onto their backs, as they felt the power reaching them, too. "Ah!" "Ngh!" The two boys yelled as Pikachu and Riolu fell besides them, too. "Oh no..." Prof. Juniper gasped as Iris and Cilan were in shock, too. The creature, despite being in pain, roared as it continued to create destruction around it!

"If this keeps up... then... Castelia City will be destroyed if this monster stays around..." Mana said breathlessly as Iris turned to the Unova Professor. "Professor Juniper! Isn't there anything we can do to stop that monster!?" Iris asked frantically as the Unova Professor frowned, as she was unsure of the monster's weakness.

"No... Unfortunately, I don't know... Out of all the things I've researched, I've never seen anything like this before..." Prof. Juniper explained as Takeru slowly stood up, as he glared at the crystal-like monster. "But... even if we don't know anything about this enemy... there has... just got to be a way to defeat it!" Takeru grunted as he stood straight up.

He maintained his fighting spirit as he felt electricity crackling around his arms as he got ready to fight. Mana watched her big brother standing up and continuing to fight, despite the disadvantage they're having right now. She trembled a little, before looking at her shaky hands. "If only... I could fight like that..." Mana whispered to herself.

Her words were interrupted as Takeru charged at the monster again. "I won't submit to you, you monster! Do you hear me!? Do you hear!?" Takeru yelled as he ran towards the monster, much to Shade's annoyance. "Ngh... You moron! Don't just rush and attack recklessly like that when you can get killed!" Shade snapped at the Nuvema boy.

Ignoring the Shadow Demon's berating, Takeru kept running, determination filling up his body and mind. _"I know it's useless... and I know it's reckless to try to attack it head on... but... If I just stand around and do nothing... then who's going to stop this monster from destroying Castelia City? Or possibly... the whole Unova region?" _Takeru thought.

He ignored the cries coming from Riolu, and the warning calls from Iris and Cilan, as well as the calls from Ash and Mana for him to come back. Destroying the monster was the only thing that came to the Nuvema boy's mind. "I won't give up... No matter how dangerous or useless it is!" Takeru shouted out loud as his Tao Form powers began to glow.

**Zekrom's World...**

The Nuvema boy opened his eyes, finding himself in the same space where Zekrom resided in, as he turned to see the black dragon of Unova looking down at him. "Zekrom..." Takeru whispered as Zekrom looked at his chosen one, his eyes showing on how amused or how proud he was for the human boy.

**_"It seems... you and your friends are in a tight space, I believe?"_** Zekrom asked as the Nuvema boy bit his lips, before admitting the truth. "Yes... That colossal monster from the Meteonite... Even with the words I said, I don't know if I could really win, even with the power you've given me..." Takeru explained as he looked at his hands.

He clenched his fists before looking back up at the black dragon, determination filling his eyes. "But... I can't say that... unless I try! Even if death comes to me by chance, that's the risk I'm willing to take. To not just save my friends or Castelia City... but to save the whole Unova region as well!" Takeru exclaimed out loud.

Hearing this voice, Zekrom growled a little, which was actually a sign of more of his amusement. **_"It seems... I've chosen the right human to save our world..." _**Zekrom thought as he raised his black giant wings, before he raised his giant black arms, startling Takeru as he frowned of what the black dragon of Unova was doing.

"Zekrom... What are you doing?" Takeru asked, as he felt worried of something upcoming as the black dragon chuckled a little, before comforting his human. **_"There is no need to fear, Takeru... You have shown me you have your reason to fight... Therefore, I will give you a gift that will help you on your journey."_** Zekrom explained.

He gestured his arm towards Takeru as a small orb of light floated towards them Nuvema boy, who reached for it. As soon as it was on his hand, it began to glow bright as a sun! "Whoa!?" Takeru yelled as Zekrom smiled at his surprise. **_"I wish you good luck with that power. Use it well." _**Zekrom said as the Nuvema boy was sent back to reality by the light.

**Reality**

"Takeru, look out!" _"Brother Takeru!?"_ Ash and Riolu yelled together in worry as the crystal-like monster slammed its fist onto the Nuvema boy, who was dazed by his small talk with Zekrom. The ground shook as the attack made the hit, startling every as some nearly lost their balance.

Riolu on the other hand, had his eyes widened before he fell to his knees._ "No... It... It can't... be..."_ Riolu muttered out inaudibly as Ash, Mana, Iris, and Cilan all widened their eyes to see the Nuvema boy possibly getting crushed. "Oh no!" "Takeru!?" "Big brother!?" "No! Takeru!" Iris, Cilan, Mana, and Ash all shouted out together in despair.

Only silence remained as everyone waited to see if anything could happen. But so far, nothing had changed. Riolu gritted his teeth, as tears welled up in his eyes, as he thought of his human brother's death that had occurred right in front of his eyes. But then, that all changed when he felt an aura... a strong coming from up close!

_"Brother...?"_ Riolu said silently as the crystal-like monster roared, before it backed away as it glared to see Takeru blocking his fist with a weapon! It was a sword that was black. The design was like a body of a black dragon (Zekrom). There were blue symbols and marks and lines on the blade, as if they were glowing or some sort.

The end of the blade was like the black dragon's head, while the hilt guard was comprised of two black dragon-like wings. "What... is that?" Ash asked as Iris and Cilan ran over. "It must be some kind of... a sword?" Iris asked in confusion as Mana ran over, holding her hands to her chest as she watched her brother stand up.

"Big brother..." It was all Mana could say as Takeru looked at the gift Zekrom gave him, which turned out to be a sword. "Zekrom..." Takeru whispered as the sword glowed a little with blue electricity. Smiling at the gift, he turned to the crystal-like creature as he got ready to fight, as he made a stance to start his battle.

"Prof. Juniper, is that what I think it is...?" Looker asked as the Unova Professor nodded slowly, before showing her disbelief. "Yes... I believe so... I can't believe I'm seeing it right in front of my eyes, but... That... is the **Sword of Yin**..." Prof. Juniper explained, amazing some of the Dire Wolves members, including Sarah and Pierce.

Shade on the other hand, watched in bewilderment to see that a young kid like Takeru was able to receive such a gift from the legendary dragon of Unova. Ash was ecstatic to see his friend as a warrior, while Iris and Cilan were amazed to see Takeru being a swordsman. For Mana, she still kept her worried face for her brother.

Pikachu, Ryuu, and Chikage were also amazed to see the human boy having such a powerful weapon to fight against his enemies. Riolu remained breathless, as he couldn't believe that the human brother he loved, was getting stronger by the minute, thanks to Zekrom's assistance._ "Wow..." _was all Riolu could say at the moment.

Back to the battle, the crystal-like creature roared as it aimed its fist again towards the Nuvema boy who rapidly dodged out of the way as he charged towards the Meteonite monster. "With this Sword, I will use the power that the legendary black dragon Pokémon, Zekrom had given me! With its power, I will not fail to vanquish you!" Takeru yelled out loud.

He jumped high into the air and slashed at the creature, as it yelled in pain from the damage it took on the middle part of its body. The creature tried to hit Takeru back by aiming a punch at him, but the Nuvema boy saw it coming and used **Tao Form** to use its speed to dodge in the air and strike the Meteonite monster from behind!

The monster roared as Takeru kept slashing at its body, with the speed from **Tao Form** and the power of the **Sword of Yin**. Everyone watched in amazement to see that the young boy was defeating the creature as Takeru slashed at the creature once more! As he kept slashing at the monster, the **Sword of Yin** began to glow brighter!

With every hit, the light grew brighter, enough to possibly show its true powers. As Takeru landed on the ground, he noticed that the Meteonite creature aimed another punch at him, as he tried to block it with his blade. The fist hit the blade as Takeru skidded with his feet to hold his ground from the heavy attack.

At that moment, using the timing perfectly, the Nuvema boy jumped up and ran towards the Meteonite creature again. "Okay... Here goes... **_Thunder Blade Stream_**! HAH!" Takeru yelled as his sword glowed, this time crackling with electricity! The Nuvema boy raised his sword and rapidly slashed the creature multiple times on the chest!

Deep inside the creature's chest, was the Meteonite! Noticing this, Pierce was the first to point it out. "There's the Meteonite! It must be the core of that monster!" Pierce exclaimed as Takeru took notice of this, too. "The core, huh? Then, I just have to aim there!" Takeru yelled as he ran to attack the Meteonite monster once again.

Seeing the human charge towards it, the monster roared as it tried to stop Takeru by punching at it, only for the Nuvema boy to use his speed to dodge it and jump high in the air! Too late to counter, the Meteonite monster tried to escape from the final attack, only for Takeru to dive towards the core with the sword stabbing it!

"THIS IS THE END, YOU MONSTER!" Takeru screamed as she stabbed the Meteonite inside the creature, causing it to crack before a bright light shone, blinding everyone that was near the battle!

Once the light had died down, everyone opened their eyes to see that the monster was nowhere to be seen. As for Takeru, he remained standing, with his **Sword of Yin** still pointing, as if he was still stabbing something. His eyes were widened as he panted, due to all the attacks he had to do and to withstand.

Riolu remained silent before he ran for his human brother. _"Big bro!"_ Riolu cried as he ran for the Nuvema boy. Teary-eyed, Mana covered her mouth for a moment before she did the same thing what Riolu did, as she ran for her older brother. "Big brother!" Mana shrieked as she ran past her comrades to reach her brother.

As soon as the two reached the Nuvema boy, **Tao Form's **powersdied down, returning Takeru back to normal, but the outfit from **Tao Form** remained. The **Sword of Yin** remained at his side as the Nuvema boy started to fall on his back, as the last thing he saw was Mana and Riolu running to him, while calling his name.

_"Heh... I did it, huh..." _Takeru thought drowsily as he fell on his back. "Big brother!? Can you hear me!? Brother Takeru!" Mana said frantically as she held her older brother, while Riolu shook his right arm, trying to wake his human brother up.

_"Big bro... You're okay, right?"_ Riolu asked as he felt the aura inside his human brother still strong, despite of it looking weakened by his fight with the monster. The Emanation Pokémon smiled as he showed his smile to the little sister, who noticed it as she calmed down, knowing the reason why Riolu wasn't feeling so frantic.

She held her unconscious brother's left gloved hand with her two hands as she smiled as well, now knowing that her brother was fine. Sarah walked up to her, placing her hands on her shoulders. "Come on... Let's get your brother back to the city." Sarah said comfortingly, causing Mana to nod as she stood up, as Ash and Cilan ran over to help their friend up.

The Kanto trainer smiled at his Unova friend, as he was still amazed with the power that Takeru had in his fight with the Meteonite monster. "That was really awesome, Takeru..." Ash said silently as Cilan looked at Ash, before he smiled as he admitted to himself that it was quite amazing, to see that his old friend was able to wield a sword now, a weapon that was given to him by Zekrom.

Iris picked up the **Sword of Yin** for Takeru as she was in awe to see such a sword in her own eyes. Axew also looked to see that the sword was in his trainer's hands. They kept staring at it, until Ash called for the two. Shaking their heads, the two ran after Ash, Pikachu, Riolu, and Cilan, as Iris walked with her two friends to head back to the city.

Helicopters had arrived for the four trainers so that they could take their take trip back to Castelia City. Meanwhile, Looker had contacted Officer Jenny, only to hear that the energy waves had stopped. Thanks to Takeru defeating the monster, Castelia City was safe at last.

As the Dire Wolves members were ready to leave in their own helicopter, Sarah and Pierce followed them as they planned to get back to the headquarters when the time was right. But as they were walking, they turned to see Shade not walking with them as he was looking at the ground for some reason. "Shade? Is something wrong, buddy?" Pierce asked with a frown.

He and Sarah watched as the Shadow Demon picked up a white necklace on the ground. The necklace looked similar to what Takeru had, but the design was different. There was some sort of a symbol on the necklace that seemed to look like flames blazing with a Yang sign above it. At seeing this, Sarah frowned.

"Where did that come from?" Sarah asked as Shade sighed. "It was from the kid who defeated that monster... He must've dropped it while fighting that thing." Shade said as he touched the symbol, only to wince in shock as he heard something roaring around him, causing him to look around to see who it was.

"Shade, you okay?" Pierce asked, catching the Shadow Demon's attention. He turned to see his two comrades looking at him in both concern and confusion. Judging by their faces, the Shadow Demon could only believe that neither of them had heard the roar that only he heard. He shook his head, with a bitter smile on his face.

"N-No, I'm fine... I'm just... tired from all of this happening." Shade explained, causing Sarah to frown, while causing Pierce to raise his eyebrows, before they accepted the answer. The two kept on walking as Shade looked back at the white necklace._ "What was that just now? It... sounded like... a dragon calling for me." _Shade thought with a frown.

**The next morning...**

At a Pokémon Center's room, Takeru twitched his eyes a little before he opened them, to see himself lying on a bed. He slowly turned his head to see Riolu sleeping besides him, as Ash, Iris, and Cilan slept on other beds. The Nuvema boy struggled as he groaned, before he slowly got up, recovering from his battle from last night.

He looked around, stopping to see the **Sword of Yin** and his **Tao Form** outfit and gear on a desk. He sighed, knowing that last night was really hectic for him.

**Later...**

"So... What happened to me when I was unconscious?" Takeru asked as he sat on a chair at the Pokémon Center's cafeteria with Ash, Iris, and Cilan sitting around him. The three all smiled nervously, before Iris was the first to speak up. "It was a long night, we had to sleep late." Iris explained as Cilan continued on.

"The Dire Wolves headed back to their HQ, after they recovered from the long battle they had with Team Plasma. Officer Jenny and Officer Looker are currently using their time to help Castelia City recover from all the damage it took from the energy waves attack." Cilan explained, as Ash finished it off.

"Yeah... Shade, Pierce, Sarah, and Mana all left with the Dire Wolves too, probably to recover from the battle, too." Ash explained along. "Pika Pika. Pikachu." Pikachu said, confirming that Ash's words were true. Takeru blinked before he frowned as he folded his arms with one more question in mind.

"Did... Mana say anything before she left. I mean... she left when I was unconscious, right?" Takeru asked as Iris smiled at the question. "She did say something, of course. Something sweet for her big brother." Iris said sweetly, catching the Nuvema boy by surprise, before he allowed Iris to continue on.

"She said... well, she was happy to finally reunite with her big brother again after two years. She also said that she would look forward to meeting you again when she has time to do so. 'Big brother... please be careful'." Iris said, before she tired to imitate of what Mana said, causing Ash and Cilan to chuckle silently.

But Takeru only smiled, as he sighed in relief. "Sis... You really do worry for many people, do you...?" Takeru said as Riolu looked up at his human brother with a smile, as he was happy to see Takeru smiling at what his little sister had said to him last night.

Interrupting his thoughts, Ash grinned, remembering the fighting that his Unova friend had done with the monster last night. "Other than that... how did you do that!?" Ash exclaimed, catching Takeru by surprise as he sputtered at the question. "Wh-What? Do what?" Takeru asked in surprise, as the Kanto trainer explained.

"That speed and power... And the power of your sword, too! How did you do all that?!" Ash exclaimed as Iris and Cilan tried to calm his excitement down. "Ash, calm down! You're acting like a kid with that attitude of yours!" Iris shrieked as Cilan could smile nervously at Ash's excitement.

Takeru sweat dropped, as he sighed. He had a lot of explaining to do to his friends...

But by then, Nurse Joy arrived, informing Ash and Takeru about Burgh and his Gym. "Ash? Takeru? Burgh just called me to tell you two, that he'll be taking your challenge whenever you two want today!" Nurse Joy explained, stopping Ash as he grinned, realizing that his next Gym challenge is coming up.

"Alright! Now that we're done with this situation, it's time to focus on our Gym battle! Right, Pikachu?" Ash asked as he turned to his Electric Type partner. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu agreed as Iris sighed for Ash's excitement again, despite knowing his excitement for a Gym battle. Takeru smiled, before he stretched his arms a little.

Now that the battle with Team Rocket and Team Plasma was over, he had his journey to focus on again, with one of his obstacles to conquer: to claim his third Gym Badge from Burgh at the Castelia Gym.

To be continued...

**Takeru's Team:**

**Riolu: (M): (Aura Sphere, Blaze Kick, ThunderPunch, Dig)**

**Deino: (M): (Dragon Rage, Headbutt, Bite, Incinerate****)**

**Tranquill: (M): (Air Cutter, Gust, Aerial Ace, Roost)**

**Tepig: (M): (Flamethrower, Smog, Flame Charge, Rollout)**

**Zorua: (F): (Scratch, Leer, Pursuit, ?)**

**Darmanitan: (M): (Psychic, Bulk Up, Fire Punch, Flamethrower)**

With Prof. Juniper:

**Joltik: (M): (Electro Ball, Signal Beam, String Shot, Electroweb)**

**Petilil: (F): (Magical Leaf, Sleep Powder, Stun Spore, Mega Drain)**

Next chapters:

**Chapter 47: ****Aura VS Art! Takeru's Promise!**

**Chapter 48: Swadloon VS Leavanny! Ash's Art!**

**Chapter 49: A Fishing Competition! Meet Rosa!**

**Chapter 50: A Fishing Scam for a Fishing Steal!**

**Chapter 51: The Crafty Emolga's Cute Looks!**

**Next chapter preview:**

Burgh: I see that you all have made it from saving not just the Desert Resort, but Castelia City, too!

Ash: Yep! And now, we're ready for our third Gym battle against you, Burgh! So, get ready!

Takeru: I'll be taking this battle first, Ash. You did go first when we were in the Nacrene City Gym, remember?

Iris: I just wonder on what kind of battling strategies Takeru has for Burgh, especially against Bug Types?

Riolu: _Brother... From that battle with Team Rocket and Team Plasma... I felt memories coming back to my head._

Takeru: Memories coming back to your head...? Wait, do you mean your past!? The time before you met me!?


	47. Aura VS Art! Takeru's Promise!

**Chapter 47: Aura VS Art! Takeru's Promise!**

The Nuvema boy was in the Pokémon Center's room, where he was changing into his outdoor outfit, while the others and Riolu waited outside for him to finish. But as he was looking at his two clothes, he looked at both of them, as he was unsure on which one to wear for now.

One of them was the one that he usually wore, which Cilan had made again after his first outfit had disappeared, due to him using **Tao Form Transformation** last night. And the other outfit was the same outfit that he wore when he was in his **Tao Form**. This outfit looked more suitable for a swordsman, more than a Trainer.

He frowned, before he made his decision. He chose his **Tao Form** outfit, knowing that last night's battle wouldn't be the last one he would have to be involved in. He wore his black shirt and trench coat, while also wearing his combat pants. He put on his combat boots, while putting his first outdoor clothes in his backpack.

He put his backpack on before he caught sight of his **Sword of Yin**. Remembering that Zekrom had asked him to use it well, the Nuvema boy took ahold of it as he stared at it. "Mm... I'm going to need something to hold my sword when I'm not using it..." Takeru said as he held the sword in his left hand before he headed out and into the Pokémon Center lobby.

He met up with the others as Ash was the first to notice the Nuvema boy's arrival. "Oh! Hey! Takeru!" Ash cried out loud. He waved for the Nuvema boy's attention, causing Takeru to walk over as his friends noticed him wearing his **Tao Form** outfit, causing them to frown at this.

"Um... Takeru? Isn't that the outfit that you used to..." Ash started as Takeru confirmed his question with a nod. "Yeah... When I was fighting against that colossal monster." Takeru said with a sigh. "So, why are you wearing that now? I mean, it's not like you will have to fight hard like you did with the Meteonite last night." Iris asked.

"Axew ew!" Axew agreed, as he popped out of Iris' hair. "I'm quite curious... Is there some sort of new taste coming from that outfit that made you want to wear it?" Cilan asked in confusion. Takeru bit his lips, before he looked at the **Sword of Yin** in his right hand. He held it in his hand tight, before making his explanation.

"I guess I... just want to move on. With so many things coming to my way, it'll be hard to just focus on one thing. So, in any case, I'll be wearing this, while carrying the **Sword of Yin** at the same time." Takeru explained.,Riolu perked his head up to hear the explanation as he frowned, before looking at his paws.

Last night, before he fell asleep, the Emanation Pokémon saw something in his mind that he wasn't sure of. It felt like some sort of vision or memory coming to him. Was it because of his human brother unlocking his new powers and having a new gift from Zekrom? Or was it because of the energy it was temporarily given from the Meteonite?

The young Fighting Type wasn't sure on what to believe anymore, as Takeru noticed how troubled his starter was. "Riolu, is something wrong?" Takeru asked, catching Riolu by surprise, who shook his head with a nervous smile on his face.

_"Huh!? Oh... No, there's nothing wrong, big bro... I'm just... thinking about our Gym battle with Burgh!"_ Riolu explained nervously, causing Takeru to frown as he noticed that the young Fighting Type's tone was off.

Nevertheless, he shook his head before he held the **Sword of Yin**, explaining his problem. "In other case, I need something to keep the **Sword of Yin** in a safe place so it doesn't hurt anyone by accident. I could use a back sword scabbard if there is one..." Takeru sighed, causing Iris to frown as she tried to think.

"Hm... I don't think Castelia City has something like that..." Iris explained sadly until Cilan smirked, before adjusting his green bow tie. "Hm hm hm! I thought you might ask that! So, while you were having your sleep, I managed to make this!" Cilan explained as he revealed a back scabbard for a sword, shocking the others in the process.

"What the!? Cilan, when did you make that!?" Ash yelped in shock. "Pika!?" "Axew?!" Even Pikachu and Axew was surprised. Riolu on the other hand just blinked in surprise to see that the Pokémon Connoisseur was able to make such a thing when he thought that the Connoisseur was an expert in Pokémon battles and cooking!

"I made it last night! Since having the **Sword of Yin** out in the open looks too dangerous, I thought it would be best to make this scabbard so that everyone who sees this would believe Takeru will mean no harm when he carries it!" Cilan explained as the Nuvema boy frowned, as he thanked his old friend for his help.

"Wow... Thanks a lot, Cilan. Now I don't have to worry about how to carry the sword now." Takeru said as he put the **Sword of Yin** inside the back scabbard. Once it went in, it was a perfect fit! "It fits perfectly! You really measured this carefully, didn't you?" Takeru asked, turning to the Striaton Gym Leader.

"Heh heh heh! I try my best!" Cilan said as Iris sweat dropped at his words. "Uh... yeah... Sure you do." Iris said. "Axew ew..." Axew agreed. Riolu just smiled sheepishly before he slowly turned back to his human brother.

_"Just how am I going to explain to big bro about my vision last night...?"_ Riolu asked as he was still unsure on what to say to Takeru.

* * *

**(Pokémon BW Opening (Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V Opening 4 Lyrics) (****English Subbed))**

(Many Pokéballs pass by, coming from the bright light)

**_Now is the time, hold up your trump card._**

**_ This future is yours to take!_**

(Takeru catches one of them and summons his Pokémon)

(The Best Wishes opening title shows with Takeru, Ash, Iris, and Cilan's four faces showing)

**_Burning brightly. _**

**_Like you're still watching an unending dream_**

(Takeru walks on a path at night with a serious expression on his face, with Riolu at his side)

**_Your body yearns for it. _**

**_A place where those who are strong are._**

(Ash stands at a battlefield, with Pikachu on his shoulder, as they prepare to face their opponent)

**_Shaky, wavering. _**

**_What you're looking for it nowhere to be found._**

(Cilan and Pansage are preparing supper, until they see a shooting star up on the evening sky)

**_But you're still seeking it._**

**_A place overwhelming with power._**

(Iris and Axew watches the forest on a high branch of a giant tree)

_**The next battle is waiting for me.**_

(Team Rocket and Team Plasma stand in opposition, ready to fight)

(Jessie, James, and Meowth stand above the Team Rocket organization)

(Aldith and Barrett stand above the Team Plasma organization)

(Giovanni and Ghetsis stand big and tall as each organization's leader)

**_I can hear the sign of new days coming._**

(Shade turns, offering a hand, with Ryuu and Chikage behind him)

(Takeru, Iris, Ash, Cilan, Nate, Rosa, and Hugh prepares to fight against their enemies)

(Riolu, Axew, Pikachu, Pansage, Pignite, Servine, and Dewott stands behind their trainers)

**_Now is the time, hold up your trump card. _**

**_This future is yours to take!_**

(Takeru summons all eight of his Pokémon; Riolu, Tranquill, Pignite, Joltik, Deino, Zorua, Darmanitan, and Petilil)

(Ash summons his Pokémon; Pikachu, Snivy, Tepig, Oshawott, Tranquill, Swadloon, and Scraggy)

**Whether your smile can shake this world is all up to you.**

(Iris summons her Pokémon; Axew, Emolga and Excadrill)

(Cilan summons his Pokémon; Pansage, Dwebble, and Stunfisk)

**_Write a new chapter in this story._**

**_After all, aren't you the hero?_**

(Zekrom and Reshiram roars together in opposition)

(Takeru and Zekrom merges together, making Takeru a different person)

(Takeru, Ash, Cilan, and Iris all stand together with all their current Pokémon)

**(Opening ends)**

* * *

With his back scabbard attached around his back, the Nuvema boy felt a bit comfortable, now that the **Sword of Yin** would be in a safe place. But, it kind of made him feel awkward as he felt people staring at him for his battle outfit and for him looking more like a swordsman than a Pokémon Trainer.

He shook the feeling off of his mind as he and the others had arrived at the entrance of the Castelia City Gym. Once they had arrived, the four trainers headed inside to see that the inside of the Gym was like a greenhouse inside! "It's so cool..." Ash said in awe. "Pika..." Pikachu agreed as he and Ash looked around.

Iris smiled, knowing what the Kanto trainer meant as she was in awe of the inside of the Gym, too. "Sure is!" Iris agreed as Cilan looked around. "It feels like an enormous greenhouse in here!" Cilan said as the four all walked around.

As they were walking, Takeru noticed a Riolu still looking a bit uneasy while walking at his side as he frowned at the Emanation Pokemon's expression. _"Okay... I didn't just imagine that back at the Pokémon Center... Just what is wrong with Riolu?" _Takeru thought in worry, until his thoughts were interrupted by a voice from nearby.

"Here you go! Eat as much as you want!" A familiar voice said, catching the group by surprise. They turned to their right to see Burgh feeding a Sewaddle with a leave, which the Grass-Bug Type seemed to enjoy as it kept munching on it. "Hey, Burgh!" Ash said, catching the Gym Leader's attention as he smiled at his two challengers.

"You all made it!" Burgh said as he leapt down from the tree to greet his four friends. "Welcome to the Castelia Gym!" Burgh said as Takeru nodded back with a smile. "It's good to be here, Burgh. Were ready to finally have our battle with you. Right, Riolu?" Takeru said, catching Riolu by surprise, as the young Fighting Type nodded quickly.

_"Huh!? Oh... yeah! That's right!" _Riolu barked out nervously as Ash felt the same. "Yeah! What Takeru said! We're here for our Gym battle!" "Pika Pika!" Ash and Pikachu said together, as they felt determined and excited to have their challenge now.

**Later...**

The Castelia Gym Leader brought the four trainers to where the battlefield was at as Cilan commented on all the trees that were surrounding the field. "I've never seen so many trees indoors! It's amazing!" Cilan admitted in amazement. "We transplanted trees from the Pinwheel Forest in here! For the Bug Type's benefit, of course!" Burgh explained.

"Wow..." was all Ash could say as Burgh continued on with his words. "There's nothing better than lots of greenery for a Bug Type Pokémon lover! And it's this type of natural and beautiful environment that gives me inspiration!" Burgh explained as Takeru smiled sheepishly at the detailed explanation. "That sounds like you, Burgh." Takeru said sheepishly.

Noticing the outfit change in the Nuvema boy, the Castelia Gym Leader took interest of it as he looked at the Nuvema boy close, much to Takeru's discomfort, as Burgh commented on Takeru's dark fashion choice for his journey. "My, my... It seems that you've chosen a dark choice for a Pokémon battle right here." Burgh said with a chuckle.

"There's nothing wrong with wearing just black or any dark colors, right?" Takeru said with annoyance as Burgh shook his head in agreement. "Oh no. There is nothing wrong with that. So tell me, Takeru. And Ash, too. How are you two feeling?" Burgh asked, which Ash responded to immediately.

"I feel great! Great enough to win my third badge!" Ash explained, much to Burgh's amusement. "I have that same feeling, too. With all the experience we had in our journey so far, I can tell that our battle will be something to remember by." Takeru explained, as this amused the Castelia Gym Leader even more.

"Excellent! I can't wait to see what kind of battle the two of you will wage!" Burgh said as he snapped his fingers. As he did so, a battlefield started to rise up from under the floors, surprising the four trainers as they didn't expect the battlefield to turn up this way. "Check it out!" "Pika!" Ash said while Pikachu was amazed.

Burgh then turned to the two boys, wondering which he would battle first. "Alright then... Which one of you am I battling first?" Burgh asked as Takeru stepped up. "I'll be your first opponent, Burgh." Takeru said, catching Ash off guard as he groaned.

"Oh man... Beaten by him..." Ash groaned out loud. "Pika..." Pikachu agreed with a sigh. Cilan and Iris could only smile nervously at the two's reaction, as they both knew that Ash wanted to go first.

**Later...**

The referee was called for the match as Takeru and Burgh faced each other, both preparing to have their battle with each other. Ash, Iris, and Cilan watched from the sidelines with Pikachu and Axew as the referee began explaining the Gym battle's rules.

"The Castelia Gym battle between Takeru and Burgh is about to begin! Three Pokémon per side! The Gym battle will be completed when all the Pokémon on one side are unable to continue!" The referee explained as Burgh took out a Pokéball to show his beginning Pokémon first for their battle.

"It's a Gym Leader's duty to show you my choice of Pokémon first! And that choice is... Dwebble! Let's go!" Burgh called as he summoned out the Rock-Bug Type Pokémon out for battle! As soon as it appeared, Iris noticed the shell looking different than the one Cilan had. "Look at the rock on Dwebble's back! It's different than your Dwebble, Cilan!" Iris pointed out loud.

Ash noticed this too, as he widened his eyes in surprise. "Yeah, it looks kinda smaller and lighter..." Ash said, commenting on the shell. "Pika." Pikachu agreed as the Connoisseur smiled. "Mm hm! You're right!" Cilan agreed as Iris made another question for Takeru's choice of battling strategy and Pokémon.

"I wonder what type of Pokémon Takeru is going to use to go up against a Rock-Bug Type Pokémon like Dwebble?" Iris asked as Ash grinned. "Don't worry about it! This is Takeru we're talking about, remember? I'm sure he knows what he'll do!" Ash assured out loud. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu agreed as he too, had faith in the Nuvema boy.

_"Bug and Rock Type, huh... If I had a Water Type, then this would be a much more easier fight... But I don't have any... So, in that case..."_ Takeru thought as he took out a Pokéball. "Tepig, come on out!" Takeru called as the Fire Pig Pokémon appeared out of his Pokéball! "Tepig!" The Fire Type said, as he felt happy for finally being able to battle again.

"Cool! A Fire Type like Tepig should have a great advantage against Dwebble!" Ash exclaimed, complimenting Takeru's choice. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu exclaimed as the Connoisseur only folded his arms. "Now we just wait and see!" Cilan said as the referee signaled the start of the battle. "Begin!" The referee cried out loud.

**Burgh: Dwebble + 2 VS Takeru: Tepig + 2**

"We'll start things off! Tepig, use Flame Charge!" Takeru called. At the order, the Fire Type stomped on the ground several times before it charged towards Dwebble with its speedy attack! "Dwebble, dodge it!" Burgh said.

At that point, the Rock-Bug Type quickly dodged, surprising both Tepig and Takeru as the Nufema boy continued on. "If one attack won't work, then how about another!? Use Flame Charge again!" Takeru called as his attack was once again countered by Burgh's call. "Dwebble, use Dig to counter!" shouted Burgh.

Once again, Flame Charge was evaded as Dwebble dug underground! Stopping in his tracks, the Pig Pokémon looked around to see if his opponent was around. Takeru on the other hand, remained calm as he used his senses to track and hear where Dwebble was moving. Once he figured it out, he reminded Tepig to let him know about it.

"Behind you, Tepig! Use Rollout!" Takeru yelled, causing the Fire Type to roll around! At that moment, Dwebble came out, only to receive a direct attack from the Fock Type attack! "Oh my!?" Burgh gasped as Iris smiled at the speed Tepig was going.

"That's so cool! Takeru managed to figure out where Dwebble would come out!" Iris exclaimed excitedly. "Keep it going, Tepig!" Ash said, cheering on for the Fire Type. "Pika Pika!" "Axew!" Both Pikachu and Axew cheered for their fiery friend as Takeru smiled at how the battle was going on so far.

But as soon as he glanced back at Riolu, he noticed that the Emanation Pokémon was deep into thoughts, confusing the Nuvema boy as it seemed that the young Fighting Type wasn't worried about the Gym battle, but about his own thoughts! "Riolu?" Takeru said, catching the Emanation Pokémon by surprise.

But at that point, Burgh saw this chance to counterattack as he commanded Dwebble to strike back. "Use X-Scissor, Dwebble! Let's go!" Burgh yelled. Startled by the sudden call, Takeru witnessed the speedy Rock-Bug Type aiming to use his attack on Tepig! "Counter back with Rollout again!" shouted Takeru.

Just in time, the X-Scissor attack was blocked by Rollout, much to the others' relief as it was a very close call. Both Pokémon skidded back to their trainers, both glaring at each other. Takeru sighed in relief as Riolu blinked, before making his apology to his human brother._ "S-Sorry if I distracted you, bro..."_ Riolu said regretfully.

Shakign his head in assurance, the Nuvema boy smiled, saying that it was okay. "Nothing to be sorry about, Riolu. Just try to focus on our battle first, okay? Then, we can talk about the troubles you're having in your mind." Takeru said, surprising Riolu as the young Fighting Type looked back at the field with a small sigh.

Now that his human brother figured it out, it's not going to easy hiding it from him again. "Now, Dwebble! Use X-Scissor again!" Burgh said as the Bug Type move was launched towards Tepig again! "Not going to work, Burgh! Now Tepig! Use Flamethrower!" Takeru cried out loud.

Right on time, at close range, the Fire Type blasted Dwebble away with a powerful Flamethrower attack, knocking the Rock Inn Pokémon away, while knocking it out of its shell at the same time! "Alright! Dwebble's out of his shell!" Iris exclaimed. "This is Takeru's chance to wrap this up!" Cilan added with a smile.

"Go for it, Takeru!" Ash cheered out loud. "Pikachu!" "Axew ew!" Both Pikachu and Axew cheered along.

Nodding to his friends' cheering, the Nuvema boy looked at Tepig, who nodded in response as he waited for a command. At that time, Burgh made a desperate move for Dwebble to make! "Now, Tepig! Use Flame Charge, back to back!" Takeru shouted out loud, allowing the Fire Pig Pokémon to bash Dwebble away multiple times!

Skidding on the ground, the Bug-Rock Type withstood the multiple hits it took and managed to retreat back to its shell! "Tch! Flame Charge wasn't enough...!?" Takeru gasped as Burgh smiled. "Very clever of you to remove Dwebble of its beautiful and light shell. So graceful, indeed, your attacks..." Burgh explained with a graceful look.

"However... It will mean nothing if it doesn't have enough power to defeat Dwebble! Use Rock Wrecker, Dwebble!" Burgh yelled, as the Rock Inn Pokémon threw a giant boulder at Tepig, exploding onto the Fire Pig Pokémon, causing him to wail in pain. Gritting his teeth, the Nuvema boy tried to counter with one of his other attacks!

"Stand your ground, Tepig! Use Flamethrower!" Takeru yelled as the Fire Pig Pokémon launched another series of flames towards Dwebble, as the Gym Leader made a defensive move, this time! "Dwebble, use Protect!" Burgh called as a barrier formed around the Rock Inn Pokémon, defending itself from Flamethrower's power!

"No way!" Takeru gasped along with Tepig. Riolu and Pikachu were also surprised as Ash was confused on what was going on at the moment. "No way... But all the attacks it took from Tepig before should've finished it off!" Ash exclaimed in surprise as Cilan frowned at the current situation.

"It would seem that a Dwebble is pushing itself to its own limits to that it could defeat its opponents, whole not letting them get the chance to strike back! A very spicy, yet bitter taste." Cilan said as Iris and Axew watched on.

"In that case, how's this!? Tepig, use Smog to cover the field!" Takeru called, as the Fire Pig Pokémon shot smoke from its nose, causing the Smog attack to spread on the field! Burgh narrowed his eyes while Dwebble kept a sharp eye out for Tepig as the others watched from the sidelines. "Oh man... I can't see a thing!" Ash exclaimed in surprise.

"He's using that Smog attack to make a new counterattack, so while Dwebble would have trouble seeing where its opponent is!" Cilan explained as Iris smiled. "But that would mean it could give Takeru an advantage, right?" Iris asked, as the Connoisseur ffrowned, before he slowly nodded in agreement.

"Maybe... must maybe..." Cilan said as the battle went on,Tepig and Dwebble were still clashing against each other in the first battle. "Quick, Tepig! Use Flame Charge!" "Protect, Dwebble!" The two trainers shouted out together as Tepig charged at the Rock Inn Pokémon, who had a small barrier around him!

The Flame Charge made the hit, only for it to be deflected as Burgh continued on attacking. "Now, Dwebble! Use X-Scissor!" Burgh called as Takeru countered back. "The same thing will happen again! Use Flamethrower, Tepig!" Takeru said as more flames were aimed at Dwebble, who lunged at Tepig with its Bug Type attack!

"Do you really think so?" Burgh asked in amusement, catching Gakeru by surprise. "What!?" Takeru yelped as Dwebble jumped above the flames, before he slashed Tepig away! _"Ah!" _"No way!" Both Riolu and Takeru gasped together. The others gasped to see Tepig now struggling against the Rock Inn Pokémon as Tepig gritted his teeth.

His flames of stubbornness and determination hasn't died away yet! And it never will! He turned to Takeru, asking him to give him another command. Understanding Tepig's desire, Takeru nodded as he called for another attack. "Okay! Let's do this! Tepig, use Rollout, full power!" Takeru cried out loud.

At the call, the Fire Pig Pokémon rolled on the ground as Burgh once again called for defense. "Quick, Dwebble! Protect!" Burgh called, as another barrier formed around the Rock Inn Pokémon as it attempted to block Rollout! "An obstacle like Protect isn't going to stop us! Keep drilling through, Tepig!" yelled Takeru as he encouraged his Fire Type to keep fighting.

Hearing his Trainer's call, the Fire Pig Pokémon increased his power in Rollout as he kept drilling Protect, causing Dwebble to struggle as a crack began to appear on the barrier! Burgh and the others in the sidelines gasped to see Rollout breaking through as Tepig slammed Dwebble away, hard to the ground! "Dwebble!?" Burgh gasped in shock.

Everyone watched as the smoke cleared, showing that Tepig was okay, despite the damage he took. As for Dwebble, the Rock Inn Pokémon groaned, trying to get up, only for it to be useless. The Rock Inn Pokémon fainted, shocking Burgh as he called for his first fallen Pokémon. "Oh no! Dwebble!" Burgh gasped as the referee made his call.

"Dwebble is unable to battle! Tepig wins!" He said, gesturing to the Nuvema boy's side.

**Burgh: 2 Pokémon**

"Alright! That's one down!" Ash said, pumping his fist in the air. "Pikachu!" Pikachu agreed as he copied his trainer's pose. For the Castelia Gym Leader, despite of him being surprised, he only smiled at his first loss. "Well... That was surprising. Now Dwebble, return!" Burgh said as he called his first Pokémon back into its Pokéball.

Once he thanked Dwebble for his efforts, Burgh looked up at the Nuvema boy with an impressed smile. "I must say, you raised that Tepig very well so that it could defeat my Dwebble like that!" Burgh said, as he complimented Takeru's bond and strength with his Pokémon. The Nuvema boy only gave a small smile before he nodded.

"Thanks for the compliment, Burgh. With the fire burning in our hearts, there is just no way my Pokémon and I are going to lose that easily!" Takeru explained with a smirk on his face. "Tepig!" cried Tepig as he agreed with his Trainer's words. Not hearing the Emanation Pokémon's response, the Nufema boy turned to see Riolu still frowning about something.

Takeru frowned, seeing that his young Fighting Type was not fully into the Gym battle, which Ash noticed, too. "Check it out... What's up with Riolu?" Ash aided, catching Iris and Cilan's attention. They also noticed that Riolu was feeling a bit doubtful of something as Iris grew worried for the Emanation Pokémon.

"I wonder what it's thinking about to not concentrate on a Gym battle like this..." Iris said as Cilan remained silent. He didn't have an answer for this type of situation as Burgh took out his next Pokéball for battle. "And now! For my next Pokémon, Whirlipede! It's your turn!" Burgh called as he summoned out a tough looking Bug Pokémon!

Widening his eyes, the Kanto trainer took out his Pokédex, scanning the rough Bug Type. "Whirlipede...?" Ash and as the Pokédex explained the details. _"Whirlipede, the Curlipede Pokémon and the evolved form of Venipede. Whirlipede can spin its hard shell body like a tire to smash into other opponents."_ buzzed the Pokédex.

Takeru narrowed his eyes at the sight of the evolved Pokémon as he looked at Tepig, who already seemed worn out from his battle with Dwebble. Still wanting to know, the Nuvema boy asked the Fire Pig Pokémon of his condition. "Tepig, are you still okay to go on?" Takeru asked as Tepig nodded back with a determined look on his face.

Nodding to Tepig's stubbornness, Takeru turned back to Burgh, who called for Whirlipede's beauty and strength. "Whirlipede! I trust that your pure heart is burning with spirit!" Burgh said, which the Curlipede Pokémon confirmed as it spin fast with its body, causing Iris and Cilan to frown at how tough the battle would be now.

"Wow... It sure looks tough..." Iris said, noticing Whirlipede's intimating power. "Well, it IS a Bug and Poison Type." Cilan said as the Kanto trainer smiled. "It's okay! No matter how strong his opponent is, I'm sure that Takeru can do it! We just need to believe that he can win even in this critical situation!" Ash assured brightly.

"Pika Pika!" Pikachu agreed, catching both Iris and Cilan by surprise before they knew that Ash was right. "I can't disagree with you on that one, Ash." Iris said as Cilan nodded along. "Mm hm! We should be able to see what kind of recipe Takeru will have to keep this battle going!" Cilan said as the battle continued on.

"Begin!" The referee called out loud.

"Whirlipede, use Steamroller!" Burgh cried as the Curlipede Pokémon spun, as it rumbled towards Tepig, who got ready to counter! "It's a risk, but we're going to take it! Tepig, counter with Flamethrower!" Takeru said, as he punched his fist towards Whirlipede.

Nodding to Takeru's command, the Fire Pig Pokémon shot the flames at Whirlipede, only for the evolved Bug-Poison Type to dodge and hit Tepig at the same time! The Fire Pig Pokémon wailed as he was sent flying, surprising Takeru as he tried to counter back with another attack.

"Stay strong, Tepig! Fire at Whirlipede with Flamethrower!" Takeru yelled. At the call, the Fire Type shot his Flamethrower attack down, as Burgh countered with his defense. "Now, Whirlipede! Use Iron Defense!" Burgh cried as Whirlipede defended itself against the Fire Type atayck with its strong defense boost.

"So, Whirlipede can use Iron Defense..." Cilan said with a frown. "Even with the attack, I'm sure that Flamethrower should've done a lot of damage! Right?" Ash asked as Iris folded her arms. "Maybe... Flamethrower does have the type advantage against a Bug Type like Whirlipede..." Iris said as Burgh continued on.

"That was a very hot attack! However, it won't be enough to defeat Whirlipede! Now, use Steamroller!" Burgh called, causing the Curlipede Pokémon to steamroll towards Tepig, as Takeru tried to counter back with his rolling attack. "Counter that with Rollout, Tepig!" Takeru yelled, which Tepig did so,

Both Rollout and Steamroller clashed with each other multiple times until Steamroller overpowered the Rock Type attack, which sent Tepig flying straight into the air! "Ah!" Ash, Iris, and Cilan gasped as Takeru quickly took out Tepig's Pokéball. "Argh! Quick, Tepig! Return!" Takeru called as he recalled his injured Fire Type back inside.

At seeing the Fire Type was safe from harm, the others sighed in relief to see that no more harm was done. "That was close..." "Pika..." Ash said, with Pikachu agreeing. "Now who will Takeru choose? He's going up against a Whirlipede that has strong attack and defense!" Iris asked as Cilan smiled.

"We'll just have to see and find out!" Cilan said as Takeru gave another glance at Riolu, who only frowned at how the battle was going. The Nuvema boy looked back at the battlefield as he took out another Pokéball to battle against the Curlipede Pokémon. "Now, Darmanitan! Come on out!" Takeru called as he summoned forth his new Fire Type.

The evolved Fire Type let out a loud roar before beating its chest as the others were ecstatic to see their old friend. "Wow! That's a great choice! Darmanitan also has the type advantage over a Bug Type like Whirlipede!" Iris exclaimed in amazement. "You can do it, Darmanitan!" Ash said, as he cheered for the Blazing Pokémon.

Darmanitan winked, before giving a thumbs up as Burgh complimented on Darmanitan's looks. "Oh my... A giant Fire Type to avenge its little friend. How marvelous, indeed!" Burgh said as his face started to grow serious. "But... this is a Gym battle we're having. So a battle must be done! Whirlipede! Use Poison Sting!" Burgh yelled.

At the call, the Curlipede Pokémon shot poison needles at Darmanitan, as Takeru smirked before he countered. "Send them right back with Osychic, Darmanitan!" Takeru called, as the Blazing Pokémon controlled the Poison Sting, surprising both Burgh and Whirlipede as the needles struck Whirlipede back!

"Now, Darmanitan! Use Bulk Up!" Takeru called. At the order, the Blazing Pokémon flexed his muscles, showing proof that his attack power is rising up more than the others would think as Cilan smiled at the strategy. "That's a nice move! Now with Bulk Up, Darmanitan should be able to make his attacks even stronger now!" Cilan explained.

Burgh wasn't about to let this one go though, as he called for an attack. "In that case, if you're going to raise your power, we'll raise our defensive power! Whirlipede, use Iron Defense!" Burgh called as the Curlipede Pokémon raised its defense power again.

"Okay! Go, Darmanitan! Use Fire Punch!" Takeru yelled, punching his fist towards Darmanitan. The giant Fiee Type charged towards Darmanitan as the Gym Leader tried to counter again. "Whirlipede, keep them away with Poison Sting!" Burgh called as more poison needles were shot towards Darmanitan!

"Dodge it, then strike hard wit Fire Punch!" yelled Takeru as the Fire Type attack made a hard punch on Whirlipede, as the evolved Bug-Poison Type growled in pain before it slammed to the ground. "That's the ticket, Darmanitan!" Takeru said as he snapped his fingers in amazement, as Darmanitan turned back with a thumbs-up.

Riolu rose his head up, finally seeing how the battle was going to his human brother's side as he watched as Takeru continued on with the battle. "Quick, Darmanitan! Use Fire Punch, once more!" Takeru called as another fiery punch slammed Whirlipede away, causing it to growl in pain!

However, as soon as the attack had done its work, Darmanitan fell on one knee, surprising the Nuvema boy and the others as they watched Darmanitan struggling to stand! "Hold on! That attack hit hard! Why is Darmanitan like that!?" Ash asked in surprise as Cilan frowned, knowing the reason for this problem.

"Poison Point... It's Whirlipede's ability!" Cilan explained, catching both Ash and Iris by surprise. "When a Pokémon makes contact against an opponent who has an ability called Poison Point, then that Pokémon has a chance of possibly being poisoned." Cilan explained as Iris knew what this could mean for the Blazing Pokémon.

"Then, if this keeps up, Darmanitan could possibly lose!" Iris shrieked as Takeru gritted his teeth. "Poison may be deadly, but that's the proof of a Poison Type Pokémon's beauty, especially with Whirlipede, of course! Now, Whirlipede! Use Solarbeam!" Burgh called, catching the Nuvema boy and his three friends by surprise.

"Whirlipede can use Solarbeam!?" Takeru gasped as the Bug-Poison Type zapped Darmanitan with the powerful Grass Type attack, causing Darmanitan to yell in pain. "Darmanitan! Stay strong!" Takeru yelled as he tried to encourage his Fire Type to keep fighting.

At hearing his call, the Blazing Pokémon managed to withstand the attack as it glared fiercely at Whirlipede for poisoning it. Riolu watched at seeing the Blazing Pokémon struggling as concern showed in his eyes._ "Darmanitan..."_ whispered Riolu as he placed his two paws to his chest.

"Now, Whirlipede! Use Steamroller, let's go!" "I don't think so! Darmanitan, dodge! Then, use Flamethrower!" The two trainers called out their attacks, as Whirlipede made the first move. It rolled towards the poisoned Fire Type as Darmanitan managed to dodge, allowing himself to blast Whirlipede away with Flamethrower!

The attack burned the Curlipede Pokémon badly as it roared in pain, much to Burgh's surprise. "Whirlipede, no!" Burgh gasped as the dust cleared to show that the evolved Bug-Poison Type was now unable to battle. "Whirlipede is unable to battle! Darmanitan is the winner!" The referee said as he gestured his arm to Takeru's side.

**Burgh: 1 Pokémon**

"Nice! Way to hang in there, Darmanitan!" Takeru said with a small grin on his face. At the praise, the Blazing Pokémon weakly gave a thumbs up as the Nuvema boy took out his Pokéball to return his exhausted and poisoned Fire Type.

"Darmanitan, return for now. You deserve a lot of rest for your efforts." Takeru said as Burgh did the same, as he recalled his defeated Curlipede Pokémon. "Marvelous work, Whirlipede. Get some rest." Burgh said as he faced Takeru once again with a small smile on his face, as Cilan frowned, knowing that the battle wasn't over yet.

"I wonder what kind of Pokémon Burgh has left?" Cilan asked as the Kanto trainer frowned. "Guys... I think I know what it is..." Ash said, as Iris and Cilan turned to Ash with confused looks on their faces.

But their confusion didn't stay long as the Castelia Gym Leader took out his last Pokéball. "And now... for the Guardian of the Castelia Gym! Come on out, Leavanny!" Burgh called as he summoned his ace out for the battle. Everyone widened their eyes a little to see the familiar Pokémon of Burgh's.

"Leavanny... She's the one that helped us when we had trouble with Sewaddle..." Ash explained bitterly as Iris frowned. "I was afraid of this..." Iris said as Takeru turned to Riolu, who looked like he was finally concentrated on the Gym battle's process.

"Riolu... Can I count on you to win the last one for us?" Takeru asked, catching the Emanwtion Pokémon by surprise before he nodded with a determined look on his face._ "Yes... You can trust me, big bro! I will definitely win it for you!"_ Riolu said as he ran out to the battlefield, causing the Nuvema boy to smile at his partner's words.

With both sides ready, the referee signaled the continuation of the battle. "Begin!" The referee called, allowing Takeru to make the first move.

"Let's end this as quick as we can! Riolu, start this off with Aura Sphere!" Takeru called as the young Fighting Type launched the blue orb towards Leavanny. "Why end it soon when the battle has just begun, Takeru? Dodge it, Leavanny!" Burgh called as the evolved Bug-Grass Type ducked to evade the special attack!

"Now's the time! Use Blaze Kick, now!" Takeru called. Leavanny shot up only to see Riolu right in front of her, with his right foot blazing with flames! The Castelia Gym Leader gasped as he had no time to call for a dodge as Leavanny was slammed away by the super effective Fire Type move!

Leavanny skidded on the ground as Ash grinned at the success of the attack. "Yes! It was a direct hit!" Ash exclaimed. "Pika Pika!" Pikachu exclaimed happily. Both he and Axew kept cheering for the Nuvema boy and Riolu as the battle went on. "Now, Riolu! Keep it going with ThunderPunch!" Takeru shouted out loud.

Not letting Leavanny recover, the Emanation Pokémon ran with his fist crackling with electricity! Burgh frowned as he called for defensive maneuvers. "Use Protect, Leavanny!" Burgh cried as a barrier formed around Leavanny! It blocked ThunderPunch, causing Riolu to flip back to where he was, in front of his human brother.

"Now then! Show them your beauty with Leaf Storm, Leavanny!" Burgh called. At the order, the Nurturing Pokémon summoned storms of leaves as she threw them towards Riolu! The sharp leaves grew close to Riolu, until the Nuvema boy attempted to counter the attack with a type advantage attack!

"Take them down with Blaze Kick, Riolu!" Takeru cried as the Emanation Pokémon's foot blazed once again, allowing him to jump and dive through Leaf Storm with his blazing attack! Amused by this, this gave the Castelia Gym Leader a smart and cunning idea. "Amusing... In that case, Leavanny! Use String Shot!" Burgh called.

This time, a sticky string was shot from the Nuturing Pokémon's mouth! "Dodge it, Riolu! Then, use Aura Sphere!" Takeru cried out loud. Stepping to a side, the String Shot missed as he launched another Aura Sphere at his opponent. "Protect, Leavanny! Then, use String Shot once more!" shouted Burgh.

A barrier blocked Aura Sphere, as this gave Leavanny the chance to shoot another sticky string at Riolu! Takeru frowned as he called for a dodge again. "Dodge it once more, Riolu!" Takeru called as the Emanation Pokémon evaded the string again! The young Fighting Type regained his fighting stance as he kept calm of facing his opponent.

_"Maybe... it would be best if I push my thoughts aside later. This is a Gym battle we're in! A battle that would decide whether my brother and my friends are ready to continue on or not! I have to stay focused!" _Riolu thought deeply as the Nuvema boy called for another attack. "Try this on for size! Riolu, use Dig!" shouted Takeru.

Using his strong paws, the Emanation Pokémon dug underground, preparing to make a sneak attack as Burgh only smirked. "A sneak attack against Leavanny isn't very wise, Takeru." Burgh said, confusing the Nuvema boy as he looked back at his opponent. "What do you mean, Burgh?" Takeru asked as the Gym Leader made his call.

"Ill show you what I mean! Me and Leavanny, of course! We will show you the natural beauty of a Bug Type Pokémon's nature! By using Leaf Storm at the hole!" Burgh's explained, as Leavanny launched another storm of sharp leaves, this time for the hole!

"Get out of there, Riolu! Then, use Aura Sphere again!" Takeru cried. "Alright! Here I go!" Riolu grunted as he got out of the hole, as he launched several Aura Sphere attacks at Leavanny, causing Burgh to block it with another defensive move. "Use Protect again!" shouted Burgh, as a barrrier formed around the Nuturing Pokémon again.

"Tch... Not this again..." grunted Takeru as Burgh continued on with the attacks. "And now, Leavanny! Use String Shot once more!" Burgh shouted as another sticky string was launched, only for it to be dodged by Takeru's command. This left the Nuvema boy to frown a little as he was a little confused with Burgh's String Shot attacks.

"What's going on? Whenever Leavanny uses String Shot, it's like she's not even trying to make the attack hit... It's as if... she's missing on purpose to do something really dramatic..." Takeru whispered to himself as he shook his head before he called for another attack. "Tch... I can't let myself get distracted! Use ThunderPunch, Riolu!" Takeru yelled.

_"Got it!" _Riolu grunted as he ran to Punch the Nuturing Pokémon away with some electricity, only for Burgh to smirk and call for a close range attack! "Now, Leavanny! Use String Shot, full mass!" Burgh yelled, catching the Nuvema boy by surprise.

"No! Get away from there, Riolu!" Takeru gasped, only for the warning to be too late! The String Shot was launched as the young Fighting Type tried to dodge it, only for the string to catch his left arm! Ash, Iris, and Cilan all gasped along with Pikachu and Axew as the Castelia Gym Leader continued on with his String Shot art!

"Now, Leavanny! Throw Riolu into the art that you've created with your previous String Shot attacks!" Birth called, catching Takeru again by surprise as he looked at the battlefield. To his shock, most of his side of the field were covered by sticky webs from the String Shot attacks! He gritted his teeth, criticizing himself for the mistake he had made.

"Damn it! I was too careless and I wasn't watching what my opponent was seeing!" Takeru snapped to himself as he could only watch Riolu get thrown to the sticky web on the battlefield! _"Ahhhh!"_ Riolu screamed as he landed on his back of the sticky web as he tried to get up, only for his arms and legs to be stuck on the web!

_"Ah... Oh no... Oh no! I... can't... move! Brother!" _Riolu panicked as he tried to get free. But despite the amount of strength he was using, the young Fighting Type couldn't get free from the sticky webs. His legs, body, head, and arms were trapped, making it impossible for him to move! "This is bad!" Cilan said in shock.

"Riolu, you have to get out of there!" Ash shouted out loud. "Pika Pika!" "Axew Axew!" Both Pikachu and Axew tried to encourage Riolu to keep fighting the stickiness of the web. "Magnificent! An art where Riolu is the core of the web! Now, Leavanny! Wrap this up with Hyper Beam!" Burgh called, surprising Takeru once again.

"Leavanny can use Hyper Beam!?" Takeru gasped as this caused Riolu to struggle even more, only for his efforts to be futile. The Hyper Beam was launched as it blasted Riolu high into the air, while also inflicting some serious damage to the Emanation Pokémon. _"AAAARRRGGHHH!"_ Riolu screamed as he slammed onto the ground, feeling pretty weak.

"No! Riolu!" Takeru gasped as the others gasped to see that the young Fighting Type was being beaten up. "Oh no... Riolu!" "Axew!" Iris said in worry as the Tusk Pokémon felt concerned for his Fighting Type friend.

"As much as I hate to inflict more pain on a young and brave Pokémon like Riolu, it's time we end this part of the battle! Now, Leavanny! Use Leaf Storm!" Burgh shouted out loud as the Nuturing Pokémon summoned more sharp leaves as she launched them at Riolu like a storm! "Riolu, quick! Get up!" cried Takeru.

Hearing his human brother's voice, the Emanation Pokémon tried to get up, only for the Grass Type move to strike at him, causing more pain to the Emanation Pokémon as he tumbled on the battlefield, as he kept struggling to stand. _"N-No... I... can't... lose..." _Riolu grunted heavily, causing Takeru to widen his eyes in disbelief.

**(Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood: Main Theme)**

He gaped to see that his young Fighting Type partner was still struggling to fight, despite the struggles and damage he took from the last two powerful attacks. The others at the side all watched in both concern and amazement for Riolu, as Pikachu and Axew could only watch as their friend managed to stand up.

"Riolu..." Takeru could only whisper as Burgh widened his eyes in amazement, as did Leavanny. "Impressive... Even with the two powerful attacks it took, Riolu can still stand? I am absolutely shocked and amazed to see that such a Pokémon can withstand powerful attacks despite of being pushed into the limit!" Burgh cried out loud.

The Nuvema boy didn't talk back as he noticed Riolu turning to him, his face darkened. He thought he saw the Emanation Pokémon's mouth moving as he heard his Pokémon brother speak to him silently. "Are you ready... to finish this... brother?" It was all Takeru could hear from Riolu before he bit his lips and nodded.

"Alright... Let's do this." Takeru said with a nod, earning a weak nod back from Riolu. With the two of them ready, they faced Burgh and Leavanny, as Iris frowned at the condition the battle was going. "Oh man... Takeru is really going for broke, is he? Riolu is injured and yet, he's still allowing Riolu to continue on!" Iris said in worry.

"This is how Takeru is, Iris. He will only call them back when he believes they're in no condition to battle. But if the Pokémon like Riolu wants to stay and fight, despite the damage it took, then Takeru will grant their request, despite knowing that it would be risky." Cilan explained, causing Ash and Iris to turn to him.

They then turned back to the battle as Burgh smiled. "Alright then... Lets finish it up, shall we? Leavanny, use Leaf Storm!" Burgh yelled as another storm of leaves were blown towards Riolu! Seeing it coming, the Nuvema boy focused on countering back.

"This is it! We're going to have to bet on our attacks and movement! One more strike and it's the end for you... no, for us, Riolu! So, counter that with Blaze Kick!" Takeru cried as he punched his fist at the Leaf Storm.

Without a word, the Emanation Pokémon ran towards the Leaf Storm before he burned it away with Blaze Kick! It passed through the sharp attack, while also hitting Leavanny at the same time! Burgh gasped to see that she was hit as Leavanny took several steps back, flinching from the small burn she had taken.

"Leavanny!?" Burgh gasped as Takeru continued on. "This is it! Use Aura Sphere, Riolu!" Takeru cried as the Emanation Pokémon shot several Aura Spheres at the Nuturing Pokémon as Burgh tried to counter again. "Not this time! Use Protect!" Burgh called as Leavanny tried to form another barrier!

But this one failed to protect her as the pain from Blaze Kick caused her to flinch and lose focus, allowing the Aura Sphere attacks to blast her away! "Ah!" Burgh gasped as Ash, Cilan, and Iris were all shocked to see that the attacks made it through!

However, this wasn't enough for the Nuvema boy as his pupils glowed icy-blue, as did Riolu's. "Let's finish this! With one more attack! Riolu, wrap this up with another Aura Sphere! Full power!" Takeru yelled, punching his fist towards the opponent. _"Yes! One more attack, brother!"_ Riolu cried as he ran towards the wounded Leavanny.

Jumping high into the air, the Emanation Pokémon used his two paws to form an Aura Sphere, but one that was much larger than the ones he created! It was twice as big as a globe, shocking Ash, Iris, Cilan, Burgh, and even the referee! "Do it! Strike her down!" Takeru yelled out loud, allowing Riolu to dive down.

The Aura Sphere collided with Leavanny, causing her to shriek in pain as an explosion occurred, shocking everyone as Leavanny slammed against the wall at the back, shocking the Castelia Gym Leader as he turned to see his challenger and Riolu's pupils looking quite the same before they returned back to normal.

**(Theme End)**

The referee stuttered a bit, before he gestured to Takeru's side, announcing the results. "L-Leavanny is unable to battle! Riolu wins! Which means the victor goes... to the challenger!" The referee cried out loud.

**Winner: Takeru**

As he returned to normal, the Nuvema boy blinked in surprise, as he looked around before he caught Leavanny unconscious, possibly due to Riolu defeating her. "What... just... happened?" Takeru asked as he noticed Riolu panting hard before he fell on his back, causing Takeru to run over to him.

"Riolu? Are you okay?" Takeru asked as he held his panting Fighting Type close to his chest, as Riolu weakly opened his eyes, before he gave a small grin. _"Heh heh... I did it, bro... I won it, did I?"_ Riolu asked as the Nuvema boy smiled softly, before he nodded. "Yes... Yes, you did, Riolu." Takeru said, confirming the victorious part.

The young Fighting Type nuzzled his human brother's cheek with his nose as Ash cheered for his Unova friend's victory. "Yeah! They did it! Both Takeru and Riolu won!" Ash exclaimed with a grin on his face. "Pika Pika!" "Axew! Axew!" Both Pikachu and Axew cheered as well, as Cilan and Iris both cheered for the win, too.

"He actually did it! He won even when he was pushed into a corner!" Iris exclaimed happily. "Indeed he did! And with such exquisite and delicious taste of victory!" Cilan added along.

While the four trainers cheered for Takeru's victory, Burgh returned Leavanny back to her Pokéball, saying his thanks to the Nuturing Pokémon. He smiled, seeing how strong the bond is between Takeru and Riolu, which began to inspire him about a new art he should create later on when his battles are over.

**Later...**

Outside the Gym, the four trainers and Burgh were all outside, as Takeru stood with Tepig, Riolu, and Darmanitan at his side. "Takeru, I must thank you for a marvelous battle you've given me and my Pokémon. It gave me the inspiration to start a new art work!" Burgh said, making his thanks as the Nuvema boy smiled.

"My Pokémon and I should be thanking you too, Burgh, for a great battle you've given us." Takeru said as his three Pokémon cried out their agreements. "Well, if you really think so, then please, I would like you to accept the proof of your victory of the Castelia Gym... the Insect Badge!" Burgh said as he gave the Castelia Gym Badge to the Nuvema boy.

Takeru smiled before he accepted the badge, before he looked up at the Bug Type user. "Thanks, Burgh!" was all Takeru could say as he showed the badge to his three Pokémon. "Alright, look! Here is my third Unova region Gym Badge! The Insect Badge!" Takeru said as he raised his new Badge high in the air.

Riolu, Tepig, and Darmanitan all cheered for their new achievement as Ash grinned, before making a reminder to Burgh. "Okay, Burgh! Now that you've battled Takeru, it's my turn to battle against you!" Ash exclaimed, as the Bug Type user smiled.

"Very well, then! I will accept your challenge, Ash. But can it wait until tomorrow? My Pokémon do have to recover from their last battle with Takeru!" Burgh said with a reminder, as the Kanto trainer nodded in understanding. "Yeah! That's okay!" Ash explained as he clenched his right fist, determination burning in his eyes.

Cilan and Iris smiled, seeing that they were going to see another heated battle tomorrow, this time with Ash against Burgh.

**That night...**

The Nuvema boy kept his eyes opened, while the others were asleep. He sighed, remembering how Riolu looked distant from his Gym battle with Burgh until Riolu came for battle. Then, during his battle, he and Riolu felt like they were in some sort of sync, as if both of them knew what they were going to do attack their enemies.

_"Just what is going on with me? And what is going on with Riolu?"_ Takeru thought to himself as he looked at his hand, before he looked up at the ceiling. _"This all started to happen when I achieved **Tao Form** and the **Sword of Yin** Zekrom gave me... Does it all have anything to do with that?"_ Takeru thought with a frown.

Just then, before he could think anymore, he felt someone leaving his side as he slowly turned to see Riolu opening the slide door to the balcony outside, causing him to frown as he quietly followed his young Fighting Type, quietly so he couldn't hear him.

**(Haruto's Theme (Peaceful))**

_"Big bro... What am I going do about this...? I... I'm starting to remember everything about what happened to me in the past... My home... My family... and the reason for my life..."_ Riolu said to himself as he looked up at the night sky.

"You can start by telling me on what's troubling you." Takeru said, startling the Fighting Type as he turned to see his human brother looking down at him. _"B-Brother...?" _Riolu stuttered as the Nuvema boy smiled softly. "You okay? You've been like this during our Gym battle and this morning, too." Takeru asked as he sat on the balcony floor, next to Riolu.

The young Fighting Type frowned before he placed his paw on his chest. _"It's just... I'm sure you heard by now... that I've gotten some of my memories back..."_ Riolu explained as Takeru frowned. "You mean your past? The time before you met me?" Takeru asked as the Emanation Pokémon nodded in confirmation.

_"Yeah... But they were just a bit fuzzy... I started to get them right after the Meteonite incident... It just... left me confused and unsure of what to do, now that I saw the fuzzy past of mine." _Riolu explained as Takeru frowned, as he allowed his young Fighting Type to continue on with his words.

_"But, there was no doubt about it... What I saw in the vision... was my home... and... my family." _Riolu explained, catching Takeru by surprise as the young Fighting Type kept going with his words. _"I also remembered... what my family called me, by my real name."_ Riolu explained as Takeru narrowed his eyes.

"And that is...?" Takeru asked, causing the Emanation Pokémon to look up at him, saying one name: _"Narri..."_ Riolu said simply with a soft smile

To be continued...

* * *

**Takeru's Team:**

**Riolu (Narri): (M): (Aura Sphere, Blaze Kick, ThunderPunch, Dig)**

**Deino: (M): (Dragon Rage, Headbutt, Bite, Incinerate)**

**Tranquill: (M): (Air Cutter, Gust, Roost, Aerial Ace)**

**Tepig: (M): (Flamethrower, Smog, Flame Charge, Rollout)**

**Zorua: (F): (Scratch, Leer, Pursuit, ?)**

**Darmanitan: (M): (Psychic, Bulk Up, Fire Punch, Flamethrower)**

With Prof. Juniper:

**Petilil: (F): (Magical Leaf, Stun Spore, Mega Drain, Sleep Powder)**

**Joltik: (M): (Electro Ball, Electroweb, String Shot, Signal Beam)**

Next chapters:

**Chapter 48: Swadloon VS Leavanny! Ash's Art!**

**Chapter 49: A Fishing Competition! Meet Rosa!**

**Chapter 50: A Fishing Scam for a Fishing Steal!**

**Chapter 51: The Crafty Emolga's Cute Looks!**

**Chapter 52: Shock Your Way Out of This, Emolga!**

**Next chapter preview:**

Ash: Okay, so it's my turn now! Get ready, Burgh! Because that Gym Badge will soon be mine!

Burgh: I see! In that case, Ash, prepare yourself for my pure heart of my Bug Type Pokémon!

Iris: Ash is going to have to think hard in order to beat Burgh... or he'll end up getting creamed instead!

Cilan: If I know Ash, it's that he always brings out a surprise, which can be either spicy hot, or delicious instead!

Takeru: I promise you, Narri... I'll find your family, so that you can go back and live with that family happily.

Narri: _Brother... I... I just don't know which side to choose anymore. You or my true, possible family..._


	48. Swadloon VS Leavanny! Ash's Art!

**Chapter 48: Swadloon VS Leavanny! Ash's Art!**

Last time on "Pokémon Unova Journey", the group recovered from their battle against Team Rocket and Team Plasma yesterday as Takeru decided to use his **Tao Form** clothes as his regular traveling outfit for now, in case if his friends and Pokémon were to be attacked again by some enemies that doesn't look ordinary.

With the preparations for the Castelia Gym ready, the four trainers headed there, reuniting with Burgh to see him feeding Bug Type Pokémon in the Gym. With the city in peace, he accepts Takeru's challenge first as the two have their battle together, with Takeru having the first advantage in the battle.

As the battle went on, Takeru noticed Riolu showing strange feelings and behavior, causing him to lose a bit of focus in battle as he manages to counter back, before he uses Riolu to face off against Burgh's ace and the Guardian of the Castelia Gym, Leavanny.

Leavanny proved to be a tough opponent as she nearly defeated Riolu with her attacks as well, until both Takeru and Riolu unlocked a power inside them together, causing the two to achieve victory. Once the battle was done, Takeru confronts Riolu at night to learn about his strange behavior during the Gym battle, only to learn of Riolu's true name before they met: Narri.

* * *

While heading back to the Castelia Gym, Takeru followed behind Ash, Iris, and Cilan as he had a few more questions to ask Narri about relating to the Emanation Pokémon's past. The Nuvema boy frowned at seeing his Pokémon brother struggle to remember of his true memories.

"So, nothing came to you at all except your name and the face of your family last night? Was there anything else besides that?" Takeru asked as Narri, as the young Emanation Pokémon shook his head, his face showing a bit of annoyance and sadness for his failure to remember anything.

**"No... Nothing... I remember nothing else, brother. I just wish... there was a way for me to remember something..." **Narri said sadly as Takeru sighed. With no more leads relating to Narri's memory, there would be no other way for the Emanation Pokémon to remember his true self and his true past.

"Well, keep trying, okay? I'm sure as time passes by, there will be a time when you will remember it again." Takeru said, giving Narri a soft and caring smile, earning himself a small smile from the little Fighting Type. **"Hehe... Thanks, brother..." **Narri said as Takeru blinked, before he frowned at the mention of brother.

**"Is something wrong, brother Takeru?"** Narri asked, his smile turning into a worried look. Before the Nuvema boy could answer, the two could hear Ash calling for them to pick up the pace. "Hey! What's keeping you two so long!?" Ash cried out, causing the duo to run after their friends to catch up to them.

**Later...**

Soon, the four trainers were back at Castelia Gym, where Burgh accepted Ash's challenge for his Gym battle. The Kanto trainer and the Bug Type user faced each other as the referee explained the rules of the Gym battle, similar to how he explained it when the Leader fought against Takeru.

"The Castelia Gym battle between Ash and Burgh is about to begin! Three Pokémon per side! The Gym battle will be completed when all the Pokémon on one side are unable to continue!" The referee explained as Burgh smiled at his next challenger, who seemed to look more ready than he was.

"Like I had done with Takeru yesterday, it's a Gym Leader's duty to show you my Pokémon first! And that choice is... Dwebble! Let's go!" Burgh called as he sent out his fast Rock-Bug Type Pokémon from yesterday! Cilan and Iris both took notice of this as they knew how fast Dwebble could go due to the size of its shell.

"He's going out with Dwebble again..." Iris pointed out as Cilan turned to the Kanto trainer. "I'd say Ash is up for a tough match if he were to go up against a fast Pokémon like Dwebble here..." Cilan said as Takeru turned to see his Kanto friend preparing to take out his first Pokémon for the match.

"I wonder what kind of Pokémon Ash is going to send out to go up against a Bug-Rock Type like Dwebble?" Iris asked as Takeru folded his arms. "From the way Ash battled, I'd say either a Water Type like Oshawott, or a Fire Type like Tepig, the same way I did yesterday..." Takeru said with a serious look on his face.

His guess was proven correct as Ash summoned Tepig out of his Pokéball for the fight! "Tepig! I choose you!" Ash yelled as his Fire Type appeared, facing against Dwebble! The Bug-Rock Type narrowed its eyes in annoyance as it had to fight the same Pokémon species that it had lost to from the battle yesterday.

"Wow! That's a pretty smart move for Ash!" commented Iris as Cilan calmly smiled. "Now we wait and see how it goes." Cilan said as he, Iris, and Takeru started to watch the start of Ash's Gym battle. But just as the referee started the call for the match, a ringing sound came from Takeru's Xtransciever!

Starlted by the sudden noise, the Nuvema boy checked it to see that it was an unknown number as Iris and Cilan glanced to see their friend distracted by something. "What's with your Xtransciever, Takeru?" Iris asked as the Nuvema boy sighed in annoyance.

"Give me a second... Must be someone calling a wrong number." Takeru said as he walked out of the battlefield room, with Narri following at his side. As soon as the Nuvema boy exited, Cilan and Iris both glanced at each other in confusion before they continued to watch the battle as Ash made the first move.

**Burgh: Dwebble + 2 VS Ash: Tepig + 2**

"Tepig, Tackle now!" Ash yelled, as the Fire Type charged at Dwebble, only for Burgh to call for an evasive move! "Dwebble, dodge it!" Burgh called, as the small Bug-Rock Type did so, causing the attack to miss! "Tackle again!" Ash yelled, allowing Tepig to charge for Dwebble once again!

"Dwebble, Dig!" Burgh called, causing Dwebble to dig underground. The speed from his shell caused Tackle to miss as Tepig grew confused to where the Bug-Rock Type could be at the moment. But before he could look around, Dwebble came out of the ground, and bashed Tepig with his hard shell!

The impact caused Tepig to yell in pain as Ash widened his eyes in shock. He'd seen this before when Takeru fought against Burgh in his Gym battle, but to witness it action during his battle...!

"X-Scissor!" Burgh yelled as Dwebble dove down with an x-shaped attack! Desperate for no more damage, the Kanto trainer ordered for a dodge. "Dodge it!" Ash yelled as Tepig tried, only for him to take a direct hit from the not very effective attack!

"Argh... That's fast!" Ash exclaimed as Iris and Cilan frowned to see the Kanto trainer already in a pickle, due to Dwebble's powerful attack and high speed in the battle. "Dwebble's so quick on its feet!" commented Iris as Cilan watched the struggle go on.

"Tepig, use Ember!" Ash yelled as fireballs were shot towards Dwebble! "Use Protect!" called Burgh as a barrier formed around Dwebble, preventing the attack from doing its work! Once the attack was deflected, the Gym Leader turned back into the offensive side, as he ordered for another move to be done.

"Now, use X-Scissor!" Burgh yelled as Dwebble slashed Tepig away again, giving Ash the chance to call for a counterattack! "Tepig, use Tackle!" Ash yelled, allowing Tepig to recover and bash Dwebble away this time! The attack made contact, knocking the little Bug-Rock Type to the ground!

"Tepig, great!" "Pika!" Ash and Pikachu cried out together. The Fire Type grinned, seeing that the tides of the battle had changed a little as Dwebble was knocked off of his feet! Seeing Dwebble down caused Ash to try and finish the battle up. "Now, finish it with one blow! Flame Charge, let's go!" yelled Ash as he pointed at Dwebble.

Obeying, the Fire Type ran as fast as he could, while focusing his energy to surround his body with fire! By the time the Flame Charge looked to be done, the Bug Type user called for a defensive move again. "Use Protect!" Burgh called as Dwebble recovered fast enough, allowing itself to be surrounded by the protective barrier again!

The barrier came just in time as Flame Charge made the hit, as the two moves struggled to overpower each other. But as a few seconds past, Flame Charge was negated, as the deflection knocked Tepig away! Once he was shaken off, Burgh called for the finishing move. "Dwebble! Rock Wrecker!" Burgh said confidently.

At the order, the Bug-Rock Type created a large boulder to aim and throw it at his Fire Type opponent! Tepig could only watch in shock as he took the hit, without being given the chance to dodge the attack! Ash gasped to see that his Fire Type was taken out so easily by the Dwebble that Takeru had trouble dealing with.

"Tepig is unable to battle! Dwebble wins!" called the referee as he gestured to Burgh's side, giving the Gym Leader the first win.

**Ash: 2 Pokémon**

Frustrated with the quick loss, the Kanto trainer returned Tepig, thanking him for its efforts in the battle. "Return! You deserve a good rest." Ash said as both Cilan and Iris were bewildered by the quick loss of Ash's Fire Type Pokémon.

"A close-range Rock Wrecker... Effective." commented Cilan as the wild girl turned to the Connoisseur with a questioning look. "Do you think he purposely lured Tepig in?" Iris asked as Cilan shrugged, before making his answer to her.

"Sure. He was just waiting for Tepig to get close! That's Burgh's style." Cilan said as the wild girl turned her eyes back at the battle. But remembering where Takeru had gone off to, she turned her eyes to the doors where Takeru exited on as she frowned with a bit of irritation and concern.

"Where's Takeru anyway? I thought he might've been done with his unknown phone call by now..." Iris said as the Connoisseur shrugged, showing that he didn't know either. "Maybe it was more than just an 'unknown' phone call... It could be someone that he knew from a long time ago!" Cilan said, catching Iris by surprise.

"You mean as... an old friend that Takeru doesn't remember of?" Iris asked, causing the Connoisseur to nod as he turned his eyes back at the battle where Burgh smiled at his challenger, asking him a tempting question.

"So, tell me! What's your next Pokémon, Ash?" Burgh asked as Iris frowned. "It's got to be one of the Pokémon that can take on Dwebble... Which one of Ash's will it be?" Iris asked as Cilan thought for a moment before he made a guess of the choice Ash could make for his next battling Pokémon choice.

"Either Oshawott with its Water Type moves, or Pikachu with its Iron Tail attack!" Cilan said as he opened his eyes again. However, by the time Ash made his choice, both of his guesses were wrong as the Kanto trainer took out another Pokéball to call forth a new friend to come out and fight in his first Gym battle.

"Okay! Bug Type battle! Sewaddle, I choose you!" Ash called as he called forth the Pokémon that both he and Burgh met back at the Pinwheel Forest! At the choice, both Iris and Cilan looked like they were about to fall over as they doubted Ash's choice to be wise, especially since it was against a tough and speedy Pokémon like Dwebble!

"Huh?!" "WHHHAAAA!?" The two yelled together in surprise as Iris frowned at the choice. "Isn't that a bit too bold!?" Iris said in worry as the Connoisseur nervously smiled. "Ah... the familiar scent of Ash-style choice!" Cilan said as Burgh on the other hand, looked surprised to see an old friend from before.

"Is that the Sewaddle from before?" Burgh asked, which Ash confirmed with a grin. "Yep!" Ash said as Burgh suddenly remembered when his ace Pokémon made a new leaf clothing for Sewaddle to wear.

"Of course! My Leavanny made its new clothes!" Burgh said as the Kanto trainer smirked. "And I'm really grateful on what you did!" Ash said as the Gym Keader gave a sad smile, seeing how new the outfit was from before, despite of it only being a few days as he sighed.

"They look very good in Sewaddle! I don't want to ruin such a lovely outfit... BUT, this is a Gym battle and that's number one. I remember Sewaddle is very strong-willed! This should be a lot of fun!" Burgh said in amusement as Iris remembered something about Burgh as she gave a frown in worry for Ash.

"But isn't Ash at a disadvantage, since Burgh met Sewaddle before?" Iris asked, until Cilan piped up, making a reminder to the wild girl. "No, no. Burgh's never seen Sewaddle battle before!" Cilan said as the referee called the signal of the next match.

"Begin!" The referee cried as the battle between Sewaddle and Dwebble began.

**Meanwhile...**

Now at the main lobby of the Castelia Gym, the Nuvema boy finally answered the unknown call that was calling for him. "Hello? Who is this?" Takeru asked cautiously as a voice answered his question. "Hey! It's been a while, Take-chan! Remember me?" A familiar voice asked, catching Takeru by surprise.

He frowned, as he felt the voice familiar, but he couldn't remember much about it as he sighed. Narri blinked in confusion to see his human brother struggling to remember the familiar voice as Takeru answered back, sighing in defeat. "No... I'm afraid I don't remember... Who are you?" Takeru asked in a serious tone.

"Hm... So, you don't remember me. I'm not surprised, since it's been a few years since we last met. I'm right in front of the Castelia Gym, where I saw you and your friends went into. If you're not battling Burgh right now, then could you come out?" The voice asked as Takeru frowned at the request.

"Um... Sure, I guess?" Takeru said as he headed out to the exit, where the doors opened to see a Trainer near the Gym! Seeing the boy, the Nuvema boy widened his eyes as he saw on who was calling him.

The boy had brown eyes and brown messy hair. He wore a red cap with a white Pokéball sign on it. He wore a blue jacket, with some kind of tight outfit under it. He wore grey shorts, with red-black sneakers in it. At seeing Takeru look at him, the boy ran up to him, having a small calm smile on his face.

"Hey! It's been a while Take-chan! You changed a lot since the last time I saw you at Nuvema Town!" The boy said with a chuckle as he noticed Takeru wearing his **Tao Form** outfit, while also noticing he Sword of Yin at his back scabbard. Narri cocked his head in confusion as he tugged onto his human brother's outfit.

**"Brother? Who is this?" **Narri asked as the Nuvema boy folded his arms, before he tried to focus on who this person was. "I believe I met him somewhere before, but... I just can't remember where..." Takeru said as the boy smirked before scratching the back of his head with a small chuckle.

"In that case, I think I know how I can jog your memory. How about... a Pokémon battle?" The boy asked as Takeru blinked in surprise at the sudden suggestion. "A Pokémon battle?" Takeru asked as the boy nodded in confirmation.

"Right. They say when two trainers have a Pokémon battle with their Pokémon at their side, they can communicate to each other on what they're thinking and on what they need to know about themselves and for each other!" The boy explained as Takeru frowned. He heard this before, but the person in his mind didn't come up.

Sighing as he realized he would miss Ash's match, the Nuvema boy narrowed his eyes at the familiar boy. "Alright. I accept your challenge." Takeru said as he glanced at Narri, making a question to him. "You ready to do this, Narri?" Takeru asked, which Narri responded to with a nod and a determined look on his face.

**"Yes. If we battle hard, like we did against Burgh, then there's a slight chance that I'll be able to remember more of my forgotten memories." **Narri said as the Nuvema boy nodded as the boy made another suggestion, this time for the setting of the battlefield.

"Why don't we go to the battlefield that's near the Gym? From what I saw with your friends, you seemed to have been watching one of your friends battle." The boy said as Takeru nodded in confirmation before he agreed to this. "Alright. Let's go." Takeru said as the two boys and Narri headed to the field that was close to the Castelia Gym.

As they were facing against each other, the boy made the rules. "Mind if we a three on three battle? Pokémon substitutions won't be allowed in this battle!" The boy called as Takeru shrugged, before agreeing to the battle conditions.

"That's fine by me." Takeru said as the two prepared to face each other. The two took out their Pokéballs, with the boy sending his out first! "Alright, let's get started! Let's go! Simisage, come on out!" yelled the boy as he sent out an evolved Grass Type Pokémon that looked like Pansage, but more bigger!

"Simisage..." Takeru said as he scanned it with his Pokédex.

_"Simisage, the Thorn Monkey Pokémon and the evolved form of Pansage. Simisage strikes its enemies with a thorn-covered tail. The leaf on its head is bitter."_ Takeru's Pokédex buzzed as the Nuvema boy thought of the Pokémon that would stand up to the evolved Grass Type.

_"Simisage evolves from Pansage, so a Fire Type should do the trick!"_ Takeru thought as he took out Darmanitan's Pokéball.

"Darmanitan, let's go!" Takeru called as he called forth his evolved Fire Type as Darmanitan let out a battle cry before he beat his chest, filled with determination as the boy grinned at how tough Darmanitan looked, while facing off against Simisage.

**Boy: Simisage + 2 VS Takeru: Darmanitan + 2**

"Let's start this off! Simisage, use Seed Bomb!" The boy called as the Thorn Monkey did so, blasting explosive seeds at Darmanitan, as Takeru countered with the Type advantage attack. "Counter those seeds with Flamethrower, Darmanitan!" Takeru called as fire blasted the seeds away, causing them to be negated!

"Simisage, use Iron Tail!" The boy called, causing the Grass Type to launch his tail at Darmanitan, as the Nuvema boy narrowed his eyes. "Counter that with Fire Punch, Darmanitan!" Takeru yelled as the blazing punch blocked the steel tail, causing the two to collide before they skidded away from each other.

At this, the boy smiled, amused with how well the Nuvema boy was battling with his Pokémon. "Nice attack! I can see that you raised your Pokémon very well to make them fight this way. Although... I shouldn't be too surprised since you were the type of guy who got along with all Pokémon, except Ghost Types..." The boy said sheepishly.

Widening his eyes at the boy knowing his fear, Takeru grew even more suspicious. The more the boy talked and battled, the more familiar he seemed. His face and personality was similar to the boy he knew once before in his childhood life. However, no name came to his mind as the Nuvema boy grew frustrated with this.

Shaking his head, the thought of him remembering an old friend scurried away from his head as the battle went on. "Can't let this distract me... Darmanitan, Fire Punch, once more!" Takeru yelled as Darmanitan did so, jumping up high in the air, before it powered up its fist to slam it onto Simisage.

"Counter that attack with Iron Tail once more, Simisage!" The boy cried out as the Iron Tail was once again prepared to be used against Fire Punch until Takeru made a slight change of plans with the attacks. "Dive down with Fire Punch, boosting yourself with Flamethrower!" Takeru yelled, clenching his fist.

At the order, the Fire Type let out a battle cry before the speed of diving down became faster, due to him spinning while using Flamethrower to surround himself with fire, boosting Fire Punch's power at the same time! Both Simisage and the boy was shocked to see this type of combination, as it looked burning to them.

"What kind of an attack is that!? Both Flamethrower and Fire Punch together!?" The boy yelled in shock as the combination Fire attack knocked Simisage away, negating Iron Tail while smashing the Thorn Monkey to the ground at the same time!

A small explosion occurred, blinding both Takeru and the boy as the smoke cleared to show Simisage unable to continue. Blinking in shock before smiling in amusement, the boy took out the Pokéball to return his defeated Grass Type back. "Good job, Simisage. Good effort you put up there." The boy said as he thanked Simisage for his efforts in the battle.

**Boy: 2 Pokémon **

Takeru watched as the boy cared for his Pokémon as he frowned. The more the boy talked and communicated with his Pokémon, while battling him at the same time, the more familiar he seemed to be to the Nuvema boy. "I know that I've met someone like him before... But when?" Takeru asked himself as the boy took out his second Pokémon.

"See if you can beat this! Let's go, Archen!" The boy cried out as an old bird looking Pokémon let out a battle cry before it glared at both Takeru and Darmanitan, as the Nuvema boy took out his Pokédex to scan the new Pokémon. "So, that's an Archen..." Takeru said as the Pokédex explained the Rock-Flying Type's data.

_"Archen, the First Bird Pokémon. Archen is said__ to be an ancestor of bird Pokémon, they were unable to fly and moved about by hopping from one branch to another." _Takeru's Pokédex buzzed as the battle continued on, with the boy making the first attack with Archen. "Get ready, Take-chan! Archen, use Acrobatics!" The boy cried out.

Both Takeru and Darmanitan braced themselves as they knew that the battle was going to be a bit difficult, despite of them being in an advantage.

**Back to Ash's Gym battle...**

Sewaddle and Dwebble faced each other as the second match of the Gym battle began, with Ash having two Pokémon left, while Burgh still having three in his team. "Sewaddle, use Razor Leaf!" Ash yelled, allowing Sewaddle to shoot sharp leaves at Dwebble, only for Burgh to counter with a defensive move!

"Dwebble, use Protect!" Burgh yelled as a barrier formed around Dwebble, preventing Razor Lead from making a hit! The Kanto trainer gritted his teeth, seeing how annoying it was to have his attacks blocked as Burgh countered back with his own offensive attack!

"X-Scissor, let's go!" Burgh called as the Rock-Bug Type launched itself at Sewaddle as Ash used a creative move to dodge the attack. "Use String Shot to dodge it!" Ash yelled as Sewaddle did so by shooting a string at the glass ceiling! It used it as a swing to evade X-Scissor, earning a grin from Ash.

"Great stuff, Sewaddle!" "Pika Pika!" The two complimented the Grass-Bug Type as Cilan and Iris both smiled on how well the new battler on Ash's team was doing. "Sewaddle's doing great!" Iris exclaimed as she saw how well Sewaddle attacked and dodged, as even Axew agreed, by cheering on for the Grass-Bug Type.

Even Burgh seemed to be amused as he made a graceful statement about Sewaddle. "I must say, that dodge was beautiful! Just like a Bug Type! A heart that belongs to them..." Burgh said as the Kanto trainer smirked, before he continued on with the attacks. "Bug Bite!" "Protect!" The two trainers called out loud.

Lunging for Dwebble, Sewaddle prepared to bite the Bug-Rock Type multiple times until another barrier was formed by Burgh's orders! At seeing Sewaddle knocked back, the Gym Leader called for another assault! "Dwebble, Rock Wrecker, go!" Burgh yelled as Dwebble did so, by launching a giant boulder at Sewaddle!

"It's that close range Rock Wrecker again!" Iris pointed out in surprise as the Kanto trainer called for another creative dodge. "Use String Shot to dodge!" The Kanto trainer yelled as Sewaddle shot the string at a side this time, allowing him to evade the super effective attack!

"Razor Leaf, now!" The Kanto trainer called as more sharp leaves were launched towards Dwebble, until Burgh called for another defense move! "Protect!" The Gym Leader cried out as the barrier blocked Razor Leaf again, much to Ash's frustration as he realized that none of Sewaddle's attacks were getting through!

"Dwebble's Protect is amazingly strong!" Cilan said as Iris frowned, before nodding in agreement as Ash bit his lips, unsure on what to do now. "Okay... Now what?" Ash said until Burgh called out another attack!

"Use Rock Wrecker!" Burgh yelled as Dwebble threw another boulder! This time, instead of dodging, the Kanto trainer had another idea to make the attack useless. "String Shot! Let's wrap it up!" Ash yelled as Sewaddle understood, by wrapping the boulder to make it fall and make the attack useless.

"Now, use X-Scissor!" Burgh called as Dwebble lunged for Sewaddle with the super effective attack again! However, knowing how fast Sewaddle was, the Kanto trainer called for an attack. "Use Tackle!" Ash yelled as the Normal Type attack intercepted X-Scissor and knocked the Rock-Bug Type out of its shell!

At seeing the Pokémon out of the shell for Protect, both Iris and Cilan smiled, both knowing that this was the Kanto trainer's chance to make his multiple attacks count! "Now is Ash's chance!" Cilan exclaimed as the Kanto trainer turned from defense to offense.

"Razor Leaf, let's go!" Ash yelled as Sewaddle did so, dealing some serious damage in the process! "Hurry! Back to your rock!" Burgh said in surprise as Ash smirked, knowing how defenseless Dwebble was without a shell as he called for Sewaddle to intercept the defenseless Rock-Bug Type Pokémon.

"I don't think so! Use Tackle!" Ash called as the Normal Type attack knocked Dwebble away, preventing it from getting back to its shell as the attacks continued on. "Now, finish it up with Razor Leaf!" The Kanto trainer called as the Grass Type attack blasted Dwebble, knocking it out!

As the smoke cleared, Dwebble was unconscious as the referee made the call.

"Dwebble is unable to battle! Sewaddle wins!" The referee said as he gestured to the Kanto trainer's side. "Alright!" Ash exclaimed, as the score was all tied up now, with both him and Burgh having two Pokémon left.

**Burgh: 2 Pokémon**

"Well... That was well done! Now, Dwebble! Return!" Burgh said as he recalled his fainted Bug-Rock Type back to its Pokéball, as Cilan called up the score. "We've got an one and one match!" Cilan said as the Bug Type user began to compliment Ash for his creative battling style with Sewaddle.

"Excellent! That Sewaddle of yours is impressive!" Burgh said as the Kanto trainer smiled sheepishly while rubbing his nose. "Heh heh... Wow, thanks a lot, Burgh!" Ash said, as he earned a nod from the Gym Leader as the Bug Type user took out his second Pokéball for the match.

"Now, its time for my second Pokémon! Whirlipede! It's your turn!" Burgh called as he sent out the evolved Bug-Poison Type Pokémon that gave Takeru a bit of trouble in his battle. The Kanto trainer frowned, knowing how strong the Curlipede Pokémon was as he prepared himself for a tough match, due to Sewaddle having a Type disadvantage.

"Whirlipede! I trust that your heart is purely made of spirit?" Burgh asked as the Curlipede Pokémon confirmed so, by spinning his body fast to show his battling spirit. "Whirlipede looks as strong as ever..." Iris said as the Connoisseur gave her a reminder of how it was tough. "Well, it is a Bug and Poison Type." Cilan said.

Turning to the Connoisseur, the wild girl frowned on what Pokémon Ash could use to defeat the evolved Bug-Poison Type. "So, what type would work well against it?" Iris asked as the Connoisseur made the first Type advantage call.

"A Flying Type." Cilan said as Iris frowned. "But Ash already sent his Tranquill to Professor Juniper's lab after our battle with Team Rocket and Team Plasma!" reminded Iris as the Connoisseur thought up another type advantage that could work well against the Curlipede Pokémon.

"A Fire Type Pokémon would be a good choice as well." Cilan said as Iris frowned, knowing the flaw in this plan. "But Tepig was already been defeated! Looks like this is shaping up to be a really tough battle..." Iris said wkth a frown.

Ash on the other hand didn't seem so bothered by the type disadvantage as he called for Sewaddle to keep battling. "Sewaddle, stay in there! Keep doing what you're doing, okay?" Ash asked as Sewaddle nodded, allowing the referee to call the start of the third match.

"Begin!" The referee cried as Burgh made the first move with Whirlipede! "Whirlipede, use Poison Sting!" Burgh called as the Curlipede Pokémon did so by shooting poison needles at Sewaddle, as the Kanto trainer called for another String Shot evasion.

"Use String Shot to dodge!" Ash called as Sewaddle shot the string at the ceiling to pull itself up! "Now, face Whirlipede and use String Shot!" Ash called as the Grass-Bug Type shot down the string to slow Whirlipede down! This seemed to useless as the string was too thin for it to hold the Curlipede Pokémon.

"Spin, Whirlipede! Break that thread!" Burgh yelled as it rolled to break the small trap as the Kanto trainer frowned at seeing String Shot being useless against the evolved Poison-Bug Type. "Sewaddle's String Shot won't work!" Ash said as Burgh called for another attack to hit Sewaddle head on!

"Steamroller, let's go!" Burgh yelled as Whirlipede did so, as it spun to bash Sewaddle away! The attack made contact, causing the little Grass-Bug Type to yell in pain from the direct attack it took. "Ah! Sewaddle!" Ash exclaimed as Iris and Cilan were surprised to see how hard the attack made the hit.

"Ah! That hit hard!" Iris said in worry. "Ew..." Axew said with a big of fright and worry as Burgh continued on with the assaults!

"Steamroller, once again!" Burgh called as Whirlipede turned back to use the same attack! The Kanto trainer attempted to counter the move with Sewaddle's attacks. "Razor Leaf, let's go!" Ash yelled as Sewaddle did so by shooting the sharp leaves at the Curlipede Pokémon!

However, they proved to be useless against Whirlipede's defense as the Steamroller deflected it all while hitting Sewaddle in the process! The little Grass-Bug Type struggled to stand up, as the Kanto trainer grew concerned for his weakened Pokémon. "Sewaddle, are you okay!?" Ash called in worry.

As he asked, Sewaddle struggled to stand while Burgh just chuckled, before he complimented his Whirlipede's power. "A beautiful attack! Wonderful! My Whirlipede's pure heart shines just as brightly as it can be!" Burgh said as the Kanto trainer tried to call his Bug Type friend to keep fighting with the strength it had left.

"Now, use Bug Bite!" Ash yelled as Sewaddle jumped up to bite Whirlipede, only for the Gym Leader to counter back again!

"Iron Defense!" Burgh yelled as Whirlipede hardened his shell's power, preventing Bug Bite from making a single dent or scratch on it! Gritting his teeth, the Kanto trainer was running out of options as none of Sewaddle's attacks were seem to making an effect on the Curlipede Pokémon!

**Back to Takeru's battle...**

Acrobatics and Fire Punch met together as both Archen and Darmanitan skidded away from each other. The two glared at each other as Takeru and the boy kept fighting on. _"He's tough, alright... Tough enough to make this battle a little trickier than I thought it would be..."_ Takeru thought as he narrowed his eyes.

"Now, Archen! AncientPower, let's go!" The boy yelled as Archen summoned rocks to throw at Darmanitan as the Nuvema boy attempted to counter them with another attack. "Quick! Block those rocks with Psychic!" Takeru yelled as the Psychic powers of Darmanitan freezed the rocks mid-air!

"No way!" The boy gasped as Takeru made the order. "Now, send them right back to Archen!" Takeru yelled as Darmanitan did so, by using his powers to control the rocks to hit them back at Archen as the boy countered back with an evasive maneuver.

"Use Acrobatics with Double Team!" The boy cried out as Archen made clones of itself, while countering AncientPower with the Flying Type attack! Soon, all the rocks were dealt with as Takeru kept the heat on with another attack. "Then, try this on for size! Darmanitan, Flamethrower!" Takeru yelled out loud.

Breathing fire towards Archen, the boy started to grow serious as he made a serious expression, while calling Archen to counter the attack. "We won't let the flames burn us to crisp! Archen, negate the Flamethrower with AncientPower!" The boy yelled as Archen did so by surrounding himself with the rocks!

The AncientPower attack acted as a shield to negate Flamethrower, while also allowing Archen to throw the rocks at Darmanitan! The Blazing Pokémon couldn't dodge in time as he took the full hit of AncientPower! "No! Darmanitan!" Takeru gasped as the Fire Type skidded on the ground, resisting the super effective attack.

"That's not all! Archen, use Aerial Ace!" The boy cried out. Before Darmanitan could react, Archen used its speed and power to slash the Blazing Pokémon multiple times with the speedy Aerial Ace attack. "Darmanitan! Quick! Use Fire Punch to counter back!" Takeru yelled desperately as he knew how much power Darmanitan was losing right now.

"I don't think so! Archen, wrap this up with AncientPower!" The boy cried out with a smirk as Archen let out a loud battle cry before it sent more stones to Darmanitan! Fire Punch couldn't block them all as the Blazing Pokémon was hit by the super effective attack once again, causing him to crash on the ground.

"Darmanitan!?" **"Ah...!"** Takeru called in shock while Narri widened his eyes in shock. The dust cleared to show the unconscious Blazing Pokémon unable to battle as the Nuvema boy narrowed his eyes before he returned his defeated Fire Type back.

**Takeru: 2 Pokémon**

"I knew Darmanitan had a Type disadvantage against a Rock Type like Archen, but I didn't expect it to be this strong to defeat him..." Takeru admitted in surprise as he gave a small word of thanks to Darmanitan before he took out another Pokéball for the match. "Lend me your power! Deino!" Takeru called out loud.

At the call, the Dragon-Dark Type let out a loud cry before it turned to Archen, who was prepared for some more. Both boys stared at each other before they called out their first attacks.

"AncientPower!" "Dragon Rage!" Both Takeru and his opponent cried out as stones and a Dragon fireball collided with each other, creating a huge explosion between the two! "You're pretty good, I'll give you that. For you to face and defeat my Darmanitan, you must've raised Archen pretty hard." Takeru said seriously.

"I can say the same for you! With the way your Pokémon is battling against my Pokémon comrades, they're putting up a good fight! Right now, with the way it is, I can't tell which of us is going to win OR lose." The boy said as Takeru blinked, as this statement seemed familiar to his past as he recalled of what the boy said.

**Flashback**

_"Right now, with the way they're battling right now, I can't tell which of them is going to win OR lose..." The younger version of the boy said while talking to young Takeru. The two were watching a TV Show of a Pokémon battle going on in the Unova League where two trainers were facing off against each other in the tournament._

_"Who do you think is going to win, Take-chan?" The boy asked as the young Nuvema boy folded his arms with a frown as he was unsure of what to say for this situation._

_"Hm... With the way they battled first, the one who used Gothitelle had the upper hand... But the trainer battling against the one with Gothitelle managed to counter back with Beartic. It's just as you say, Nate... I can't see which of them is going to win, too!" Young Takeru said sheepishly as the two boys laughed at Takeru's answer._

**Flashback End**

Widening his eyes in disbelief, the Nuvema boy bit his lips before he asked the boy for confirmation of his childhood friend. "It can't be... Are you... Nate? The one that moved away from Nuvema Town? That same Nate?" Takeru asked as the boy blinked, before his face darkened as he shook a little, before he showed a big smile on his face.

"You actually remembered me! It's about time you figured it out, Take-chan!" The boy, now known as Nate said with a smirk as Narri blinked in surprise to hear this. This human boy was a childhood friend of his human brother's? He remembered Takeru telling him about a childhood friend that was forced to move away.

But for his human brother and his childhood friend to meet together like this in the middle of a battle...!

"But the reunion will have to wait! Right now, we're in a middle of a battle! Archen, use Double Team, let's go!" Nate yelled as the Rock-Flying Type made copies of itself again to confuse Deino as Nate started the assaults! "Now's your chance! All of you, use Aerial Ace!" Nate cried out loud.

At targeting their prey, the clones began to charge for Deino, until Takeru countered back by calling out to the Dragon-Dark Type. "I won't let you! Now, Deino! Spin around with Incinerate!" Takeru yelled as Deino did so, as he breathed out fire to eliminate all the copied while hitting Archen at the same time!

Archen let out a painful cry as it flew up to regain its balance. "That was unexpected... But still, it won't change the situation! Use AncientPower!" Nate yelled as boulders from Archen were thrown towards Deino, who braced himself for impact.

"Quick! Block them with Dragon Rage again!" Takeru yelled out loud. At the call, the powerful blow from the Dragon Rage blasted AncientPower apart, as the dust blinded both Deino and Takeru from what's up ahead of them. But suddenly, as the dust started to clear, Archen started to come through, coming in close range!

"What!?" "Dei!?" Both Takeru and the Dragon-Dark Type was shocked as Nate smirked. "Surprised? Now, Archen! Aerial Ace, let's go!" Nate yelled as Archen slashed Deino multiple times, knocking it side by side until the Rock-Flying Type flew up to target his weakened opponent for the finishing touch.

"Let's wrap this up! Now, Archen! AncientPower once more!" Nate yelled as more boulders were thrown towards Deino as the Nuvema boy gritted his teeth as he attempted to make another counterattack! "Block them with Dragon Rage!" Takeru yelled out loud. This surprised Nate as he frowned at the move call.

"The same thing will happen again, don't you realize? Archen, fly through the dust with Aerial Ace!" Nate cried. As soon as the Dragon Rage and AncientPower collided together, creating a dust cloud, Archen flew through it to hit Deino until Takeru found a way to strike back without any flaws.

"We're not falling for the same thing, Nate! Now, Deino! Counter Archen with Headbutt!" Takeru yelled as Deino charged to the dust cloud, only to feel something hard hitting his head! Archen felt Headbutt hit its mark as both Pokémon yelled in pain before another dust cloud occurred from their collision of their attacks!

Both Takeru and Nate watched as Narri looked in worry to see who had won this match. As the dust cleared, Narri was the first to see who was standing and who wasn't! **"Deino's... down, brother..."** Narri said in shock as Takeru blinked in surprise to see Deino defeated with Archen still standing, but looking breathless at the same time.

**Takeru: 1 Pokémon**

"I'm cornered...? Down to the last one?" Takeru asked himself as Nate smiled weakly, knowing that he was also in a disadvantage. With Archen taking some serious damage from its battle with Darmanitan and Deino, Takeru's last Pokémon should be able to make quick work of his Rock-Flying Type Pokémon.

Not only that, but his old childhood friend was one of the strongest rookie trainers that's been said in the Battle Clubs. Even I feel he were to sent his partner out, it wouldn't be so easy. His guess would be that his childhood friend will be choosing the Pokémon that he first met: Riolu. His guess was right as Takeru turned to Narri as his last choice.

"Narri... Can I count on you for this?" Takeru asked, which Narri responded with a nod. **"Yes. I know it may not look easy, but I'll never know unless I try! Right, brother Takeru?"** Narri asked, which the Nuvema boy responded with a small nod as he allowed Riolu to run up to the battlefield to face Archen.

"Riolu, huh...? Judging by the looks of their faces, Riolu has got to be Take-chan's ace... We better brace ourselves, Archen!" Nate warned as Archen agreed with a tired grunt as the fourth part of the battle began.

**Back to Ash's Gym battle...**

"Whirlipede! Steamroller!" Burgh yelled as the Curlipede Pokémon rolled towards Sewaddle fast! It bashed the little Bug-Grass Type away, causing it to yell in pain. "Sewaddle, no!" Ash gasped as he watched to see Sewaddle fall.

Just as Sewaddle tried to stand again, the Castelia Gym Leader prepared to make the finishing move to end the third part of the match! "Let's finish this! Whirlipede, Solarbeam!" Burgh yelled as this order surprised Ash and the others as the charging went fast, allowing the Curlipede Pokémon to make a direct hit with the Solarbeam!

Feeling the powerful energy hit him, the Grass-Bug Type yelled in pain from the damage it was being dealt with! "Oh no! Sewaddle! Hang in there!" "Pika Pika!" Ash and Pikachu yelled together as they tried to encourage Sewaddle to keep fighting.

As they did so, the Bug-Grass Type struggled to stay in the battle as when Solarbeam finished its attack, Sewaddle began to glow! This startled everyone as they watched to see something happen to the little Bug-Grass Type. The frowns from the group's face turned into smiles as they knew what the glow meant.

"Oh wow!" Ash exclaimed as Cilan pointed it out. "Sewaddle is evolving!" Cilan exclaimed as the evolution changed Sewaddle into a bigger, but thicker shape! As the glow stopped, a new Pokémon appeared! It appeared to be a Pokémon wrapping itself with a giant leaf, treating it like some sort of coat or blanket.

"Who's that?!" Ash said in surprise as the Connoisseur gave the answer. "A Swadloon!" Cilan answered, causing the Kanto trainer to scan his newly evolved Pokémon with his Pokédex. "Swadloon...?" Ash asked as the Pokédex gave the details.

_"Swadloon, the Leaf-Wrapped Pokémon and the evolved form of Sewaddle. Swadloon's body is covered in leaves which protect it from the cold. In forests where Swadloon live, the trees and grass grow very well." _Ash's Pokédex buzzed, leaving the Kanto trainer ecstatic of his new Swadloon in the team.

"That's awesome!" "Pika Pika!" Ash and Pikachu cried out together ecstatically as Burgh was amazed as well as he smiled at the new Pokémon that was formerly Sewaddle.

"So, Sewaddle evolved! Excellent! Swadloon is one of my favorite Pokémon! Finding a Swadloon in the forest is wonderful! It means one thing! That the trees grow there are extremely healthy and strong! But, this is a Gym battle and battle you I will!" Burgh declared as the battle continued on with Ash calling the attack first.

"Swadloon, use String Shot!" Ash yelled as Swadloon did so, as he shot out thicker strings to bind Whirlipede, as Burgh called for his Curlipede Pokémon to break the prison once again. "Whirlipede! Spin and break that thread!" Burgh yelled as Whirlipede did so, making String Shot useless once more.

"Swadloon's String Shot is still not enough!" Ash exclaimed with a frown. "It's time for a beautiful finish! Use Steamroller!" Burgh called as Whirlipede kept spinning to use the spinning attack as it headed towards Swadloon to attack as the Kanto trainer tried to use the creative dodging method again.

"Use String Shot to dodge it!" Ash called as Swadloon shot the string at the ceiling to dodge Steamroller, only for Whirlipede to cut it with Steamroller! It knocked Swadloon to the ground, much to Ash's shock as Steamroller started to get closer to Swadloon! Ash gasped as he attempted to counter with a new move this time.

"Let's show them your new power! Use Energy Ball!" Ash yelled as Swadloon shot the powerful ball at Swadloon! The energy blasted Whirlipede away, negating Steamroller and dealing some damage! This surprised Burgh as he didn't expect them to counter his Steamroller attack. "Whirlipede, no!" Burgh called in surprise.

"Swadloon, great job!" Ash exclaimed as Iris and Cilan smiled to see how well Swadloon was battling with his new move. "So Swadloon knows Energy Ball! Great!" Iris exclaimed excitedly as the Connossieur smiled at the new path Swadloon was moving up to.

"Now that Sewaddle has evolved, Swadloon is following a new recipe!" Cilan said as the Kanto trainer prepared to make the finishing move. "Alright, let's wrap it up! Use Tackle!" Ash called as Swadloon bashed Whirlipede away! It knocked the Curlipede Pokémon down, knocking it out for the count.

"Whirlipede is unable to battle! Swadloon is the winner!" The referee called, gesturing to Ash's side.

**Burgh: 1 Pokémon**

"Hm... Whirlipede, return." Burgh said as he returned the Curlipede Pokémon back to its Pokéball. The Kanto trainer praised his newly evolved Bug Type for his skills as he made a reminder of their close victory in their Gym battle.

"Alright! Great job, Swadloon! And that means... one more, and we win!" Ash exclaimed, causing the Leaf-Wrapped Pokémon to cry out his agreement as this puzzled Cilan. "I can't help but wonder which Pokémon will be Burgh's last! Will it be Leavanny just like with Takeru's battle?" Cilan asled as the Gym Leader took out his last Pokéball for the match.

"Now for the Guardian of the Castelia Gym! Come out, Leavanny!" Burgh called as he called forth his ace, which answered the Striaton Gym Leader's question. The Nuturing Pokémon faced her pre-evolved form as the Kanto trainer prepared for another tough battle coming up for both him and Swadloon.

"Leavanny..." Ash said as Iris frowned. "Uh oh... I was afraid of this... Leavanny isn't just strong, but it can also use Leaf Storm and Hyper Beam! That put Takeru into a really bad shape for once when he used Narri against it..." Iris said, remembering how Narri struggled against the evolved Grass-Bug Type Pokémon.

"Begin!" The referee said as the fourth part of the match begun.

"Swadloon! Use Energy Ball!" Ash yelled, causing Swadloon to do so as Burgh countered with the same defense with Dwebble! "Use Protect!" Burgh called as Leavanny summoned up a barrier to negate the attack! This frustrated Ash as he now had to deal with the same defense problem like with Dwebble!

"Argh! It didn't do a thing!" Ash grunted as Burgh called for his next attack. "Use String Shot!" Burgh called as Leavanny shot a much more thicker String to bind Swadloon as the Leaf-Wrapped Pokémon struggled to get free, causing Ash to use only one option to get his newly evolved Pokémon out of the sticky mess.

"You're gonna have to use Razor Leaf on yourself!" Ash called as Swadloon did so by launching several times, all aiming to himself! This shocked Iris as she was bewildered of what Ash was doing. "What's Ash thinking!?" Iris exclaimed as the Razor Leaf did some hit on Swadloon, dealing damage to him while freeing him at the same time!

"You did it, Swadloon! Now's our chance!" Ash exclaimed, causing Swadloon to turn to him and nod in agreement. The wild girl frowned with the methods Ash is using to pull himself and his Pokémon out of trouble.

"Ash is really going for broke!" Iris said as the Connoisseur smiled sheepishly at that. "His strategy is getting spicier for sure!" Cilan said as the Gym Leader was impressed with their guts.

"It takes a lot of courage to break free by using an attack on yourself and take any resulting damage! No matter. Now, Leavanny! Use Leaf Storm!" Burgh called as Leavanny charged up her energy to knock Swadloon away with her Leaf Storm attack! Ash gasped as Burgh made the finishing call of the match.

"Let's wrap this up! Leavanny, Hyper Beam!" Burgh yelled as Swadloon squealed on taking the hit, causing him to be knocked out by the powerful Normal Type attack! "Swadloon is unable to battle! Leavanny wins!" The referee said, gesturing to Burgh's side this time.

**Ash: 1 Pokémon**

The Kanto trainer narrrowed his eyes, feeling frustrated a little as he returned his defeated Leaf-Wrapped Pokémon back into his Pokéball. "Argh... You battled hard. Thanks, Swadloon. Now take a good rest." Ash said as he was left with one Pokémon now to face the Nuturing Pokémon.

"And now, Ash! It's time for your third and final Pokémon!" Burgh called as Iris gulped with seeing both sides equal now. "Wow, this is really Ash's final Pokémon..." Iris said as the Connoisseur folded his arms to watch. "We will soon find out who it will be." Cilan said as a Pokéball opened from Ash's belt, startling the Kanto trainer!

The Pokémon who came out was Oshawott, who seemed to be willing to be the final choice of Ash's Gym battle. "Oshawott? You want to go?" Ash asked, which the Sea Otter Pokémon confirmed by nodding as he picked up his scalchop that suddenly fell from his stomach! By that time, Pikachu walked up to Ash, asking to battle as well!

"Pika Pika!" Pikachu said, causing Ash to smile. "Right! Pikachu! I'm choosing you!" Ash called out, making Oshawott pale in shock like a statue, while Pikachu was content with his human friend's decision.

At seeing his Water Type broken in both shock and disappointment, the Kanto trainer sheepishly smiled as he made an apologetic look to the Unova starter. "Oshawott, you're up next time!" Ash said as he returned the Sea Otter Pokémon back to its Pokéball as Burgh seemed amused with the final choice.

"So... Pikachu, eh?" Burgh asked, as Ash confirmed his choice. "Right! It's up to ypu, buddy!" Ash called out, as Pikachu nodded in understanding.

**Back to Takeru's battle...**

"Start this off with a ThunderPunch attack, Narri!" Takeru yelled as Narri did so by charging his fist with electricity!** "Understood!" **Narri called as he leapt up high in the air as he dove down for a ThunderPunch attack!

"If that even grazes Archen, then he's done for! Counter that attack with AncientPower, Archen!" Nate yelled as Archen summoned more rocks to throw at Narri, who skillfully dodged the rocks, surprising Nate as he didn't expect Narri to have such power and speed to evade the AncientPower attack.

"No way!" Nate gasped as the ThunderPunch attack slammed Archen to the ground! The super effective attack was too much for the First Bird Pokémon as it fainted with the impact it took from the recent attack.

**Nate: 1 Pokemon**

"They did it with just one hit... But I guess that's to be expected since Archen took a huge amount of damage from battling both Darmanitan and Deino..." Nate said as he recalled Archen, thanking it for its efforts. His eyes were shadowed for a moment as Takeru narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

"Something wrong? Or are you going to do something that's going to surprise me, Nate? You were the kind of person that always makes a surprise to other people by doing or showing something to people that never knew about your intentions." Takeru asked as he watched his childhood friend shake a little with chuckling at the same time.

"Heh heh heh heh heh... Ha ha ha ha ha! That's right! You've got me all figured out, don't you, Take-chan? And you're right. The last Pokémon I'm about to show you will really surprise both you and your Riolu!" Nate said, striking both Takeru and Narri's surprise and interest.

**"Both me and brother?" **Narri repeated in suspicion as Nate called out his last Pokémon. "Alright, Lucario! Come on out!" Nate yelled as the ball opened to show a familiar Pokémon appearing right in front of Narri! **"What!?"** Narri gasped as the Nuvema boy widened his eyes in shock to see the Aura Pokémon in front of his eyes.

"A Lucario!? No way... When did Nate...!?" Takeru said in shock as Nate pulled onto his cap, before smirking at his childhood friend's surprised look. "Surprised? I guess you should be. Lucario here, to be honest... is the very first Pokémon I caught when I started my journey back at Aspertia Town." Nate explained, catching Takeru by surprise.

"Your first capture...?" Takeru asked as Nate nodded in confirmation. The Lucario then spoke, giving off telepathy to both Nate and Takeru, with Narri hearing this as well.

**"That's right. Master Nate had found me in a forest near a town called Floccesy, where I was born and raised in a forest of where a Lucario tribe was." **Lucario said, surprising both Narri and Takeru. Narri on the other hand, was more surprised as he frowned of hearing of a tribe that was a part of his species.

**"A... Lucario tribe?"** Narri asked in curiosity as Lucario nodded seriously before he made a fighting stance.

**"That is correct..." **Lucario said as Nate's face grew serious. "Back to the battle! Lucario, Swords Dance!" Nate yelled as Lucario obeyed, summoning swords to boost his power up! Takeru narrowed his eyes as he knew what this could mean if Narri were to get hit by one of Lucario's boosted attacks.

"Keep your guard up! His attacks will be more powerful now!" Takeru yelled as Narri nodded in understanding. **"Right!"** Narri called as Takeru's childhood friend called for an attack.

"Use Bone Rush, Lucario!" Nate yelled as the Aura Pokémon summoned a long bone to hit Narri as he dashed to attack, as Narri prepared himself. "It's coming! Counter that with Blaze Kick and ThunderPunch!" Takeru yelled, surprising Nate as he witnessed Narri blocking the Bone Rush with bone ThunderPunch and Blaze Kick!

The fist crackled with electricity while the leg began to heat up to counter the incoming blows, leaving Nate interested with this. "So your Riolu can use two moves at once, huh? I have to say, I'm impressed, Take-chan. But it won't give you the win if you keep blocking! Keep attacking with Bone Rush, Lucario!" Nate yelled.

**"Prepare yourself, young one! HAH!"** Lucario yelled as one of the blows slammed Narri's chest, causing the Emanation Pokémon to wince in pain and gasp as he felt the blow to his chest, as he stood his ground, skidding back.** "Gah... That hit... hard..." **grunted Narri as Nate kept up with the assaults.

"Now, Lucario! Metal Claw!" Nate yelled as Lucario obeyed once again, as the spike on his paws glowed, turning into shiny claws! He lunged towards Narri as Takeru gritted his teeth. "Use Dig to escape!" Takeru yelled as Narri did so, as he dug underground, causing Metal Claw to miss as Nate knew how to counter the attack.

"Use your aura to find where Riolu is!" Nate called as Lucario nodded as he focused his powers to find the young Emanation Pokémon. Once he found the Aura belonging to his pre-evolved form, the Aura Pokémon gave a small glance to Nate, signaling that he found his young opponent as Nate took this chance to attack.

"You found him! Alright, Lucario! Aura Sphere, go!" Nate yelled as Lucario did so, as he charged up an Aura Sphere to blast Narri out, only for Takeru to call out a counterattack. "I won't let you! Narri, counter that with YOUR Aura Sphere!" Takeru yelled, surprising Nate in the process of hearing the attack name.

"What!? That can't be! A Riolu can't learn an Aura Sphere in its current form unless it evolves into a Lucario!?" Nate gasped as his Lucario was surprised too. But, just as he was about to launch his Aura Sphere, another Aura Sphere erupted from the ground, blasting him in the air in the process!

** "ARGH!" **Lucario grunted in pain as he landed on the ground with a thud. At the same time, Narri jumped out of hiding hole, as Nate was shocked than ever to see a Riolu using Aura Sphere in its current form.

"Take-chan... Could it be... that your Riolu is one of those special Riolu that was born to have the ability to use Aura Sphere in its current form?" Nate asked himself silently as Takeru narrowed his eyes. He clenched his fists, not noticing a small glow of light coming out of it!

"Now it's our turn to attack! Narri, show them your true Aura Sphere! Full power!" Takeru yelled as he punched his fist in the air. At the same time, his eye pupils glowed sky-blue, with the mark of the black dragon head tattoo surrounding his left eye. The **Tao Form** clothes glowed a little as Narri's eyes glowed with sky-blue aura as well!

The black dragon head tattoo surprisingly also appeared on Narri's left eye, as if Takeru was sharing his power with his partner!

**"Alright! Here goes!"** Narri said as he jumped high into the air to prepare a large Aura Sphere. Unknowingly to Takeru, with the help of his **Tao Form** power, Narri's paws started to glow, crackling with power as the Aura Sphere he charged up started to grow bigger, and bigger until it was bigger than a normal Aura Sphere!

Both Nate and Lucario were bewildered to see an Aura Sphere this big as Nate shook his head to snap himself out. "That's a big Aura Sphere alright! But we can't lose that easily! Lucario, try to counter that with your Aura Sphere!" Nate yelled, as he snapped his Aura Pokémon out of his shock.

The Fighting-Steel Type charged his energy to Summon up an Aura Sphere that was about the equal size as Narri's, before he shot it at Narri's Aura Sphere! The two attacks collided together, pushing each other to overwhelm one another. Both Takeru and Nate watched as they both narrowed their eyes to see which would be the victorious one.

Both Narri and Lucario on the other hand focused on their energy to keep their Aura Spheres maintained as they both tried to overcome one another! But to Nate and Lucario's surprise, the pre-evolved Fighting Type's focus and power seemed to be stronger as it began to push Lucario's Aura Sphere down!

"Okay! Finish it, Narri! This is your chance! Aura Sphere, once more!" Takeru cried out as Narri did so, as he charged up another Aura Sphere to aid the one that was fighting! Once he threw the Aura Sphere to his first one, the combined Aura Spheres began to overpower Lucario's Aura Sphere, who could only brace himself for impact.

Nate couldn't say any more orders as he knew that even if he were to attempt a counterattack, it would be futile, since the Aura Sphere he had attempted to counter with Lucario's moves failed to work, which could mean that his other attacks would be useless, too.

**KABOOM!**

A large explosion occurred on the battlefield, enough to catch at least a few people's attention to see what was going on. But to the boys, they didn't care if they had attention or not as they watched to see what had happened as a result.

The smoke slowly started to clear, to see that both Narri and Lucario were standing, glaring at each other with small bruises and scratches all over their body. Lucario had the most scars, as he was hit by the enormous Aura Sphere attack, while Narri's wounds looked like he was only nicked or struck several times.

Both boys stared across each other as they waited to see who would fall first. Their answers to their questions came as Lucario was the first to fall, making Narri the victor!** "Hah... Hah... I... won..." **Narri said, panting in exhaustion. The Tao Form that was shared with Narri disappeared as his body and eyes stopped glowing.

The black dragon head tattoo surrounding Narri's left eye disappeared as well. At the same time, Takeru's Tao Form powers had shut down, turning his body but outfit back to normal.

**Winner: Takeru**

The Nuvema boy softly smiled as he walked over to Riolu, as he held him in his arms. Nate, on the other hand seemed surprised with the results, but he smiled. "I lost... Heh... What could I expect? This was Take-chan that I was facing..." Nate said to himself as he returned Lucario, giving him the thanks for his battle assistance.

Lookinf up at his childhood friend, Nate noticed Takeru looking at him with a small smile on his face while carrying Narri as the Nuvema boy was the first to say his words to him. "Good battle, Nate. You always did wanted to give a good battle to other opponents when you were to become a Trainer few years ago." Takeru said.

Nate smiled back and gave a small nod. "You too, Take-chan. I didn't think you'd grow this strong. I guess this means I've got some training to do if I even want to go far to surpass you." Nate said as he turned back, preparing to leave. Before he started to walk, he gave the Nuvema boy a small knowing glance at him.

"We'll battle again someday, Take-chan. And next time, you be sure to give it your all! Because if you do, I'll be giving my all, too!" Nate said seriously, earning a small nod from his childhood friend. "Right. I'll be waiting for your next challenge, Nate." Takeru said as the two childhood friends said their goodbyes to each other as they parted from each other.

Carrying Narri in his arms, the Nuvema boy started to carry him to the Pokémon Center so that his wounds could be mended. While he was walking, Narri on the other hand had his eyes closed, as if he was starting to remember something during his battle with Lucario.

Before Lucario had fallen, he said his last words to Narri before fainting, resulting in his defeat.

**Flashback**

**_"You really are... one of the three lost children of our leader... To link your powers with your human like that and to make an Aura Sphere that powerful... There's no doubt about it..." _**_Lucario said before he fainted, causing Narri to widen his eyes in surprise to his evolved opponent._

**End Flashback**

Because of what Lucario had said in the battle, Narri soon started to remember his past memories of his past young life before he had met his human brother.

**Memory**

_There were three Eggs on the forest ground, as two Lucarios looked over them. One of them was a male, and the other was a female. They seemed to be the parents of these eggs, as the father Lucario smiled. **"Soon, our three children will be born. And they will have to carry the destiny our ancestors have carried on."** Father Lucario said._

_His mate frowned in worry, before she looked back at the Riolu Eggs. **"But, Black... Are you sure about this...? If humans were to discover their powers when they are born, you know they will-"** Mother Lucario said as the father Lucario called Black shook his head._

_**"No, Rei... I won't let them be taken away... Those humans took so many precious things from me in my past life. And I don't intend to lose my children the same way."** Black said as the mother named Rei looked at her husband with a worried look on her face. Not wanting to see his face that way, she soon changed the subject._

_**"What should we name them when they are born?" **Rei asked, causing her husband to soften his expression, before he made his decision. **"Our first son... His name will be_. Our second son will be named Narri, the same as my grandfather... As for our daughter, her name will be_."** Black said as the names were cut off from the memory._

_..._

_The memory soon changed, turning into a scene where Black was struggling to fight off some humans that looked like poachers. Rei couldn't move as she was defeated by the poachers' Escavalier and Jellicent, as Black struggled against Darmanitan and Galvantula, whom were giving him a hard time._

_**"A-Argh... DAMNIT!"** Black grunted as the poacher turned to his comrades to move. The comrade nodded as he carried off the cage containing three young Riolus, one of them being Narri and the other two being his siblings. **"MOM! DAD! Don't let them take us away! PLEASE!"** Narri begged as tears flowed out of his eyes._

_His older brother was trying hard to break the cage, while his little sister was frightened, as she was crying. **"NO!" **Black yelled as he tried desperately to reach his children, only to be blasted back by Darmanitan's Flamethrower and Galvantula's Hyper Beam attack!** "AAAAARRGGGHHH!"** Black screamed as he was blasted into a tree._

_**"BLACK!"** Rei screamed in despair as she could only watch to see her husband fall and her children be taken away by the poachers' truck.** "No! Give them back! Please, give them-"** Rei screamed desperately until she was slashed away, causing her to fall next to her husband._

_Narri only screamed in fear and despair as he and his siblings were stolen from their parents and taken away from their home._

_The memory changed again, to where Narri was all alone, lying on the wet road, being pelted by the rain as he struggled to stand and look around. The poachers' keep were torn apart, as if they had crashed into something. The poachers weren't around, which most likely could mean that they didn't survive._

_Narri widened his eyes as he looked to see if his older brother and little sister was around. **"Big brother...? Sis? Are you..." **Narri started as he turned to see his broken cage. To his horror, they were gone. Their scent was washed away by the rain as Narri fell on his back, as he let his sadness out in the rain._

_**"NOOOOOOOOOOO!" **His scream couldn't overpower the sound of the rainstorm as he was left alone, abandoned, hungry, and weak._

**Memory End**

**"NO!" **Narri yelled as he woke up, as he frantically looked around to see himself on the bed, where his human brother, Ash, Cilan, and Iris were. Pikachu and Axew were sleeping next to their trainers as Narri sighed in relief, realizing that it was only his memory that he remembered... The horrible memory that came back to his kind.

Then, realizing how he lost everything, the young Emanation Pokémon began to cry as he covered his face with his paws to stop his crying so that Takeru wouldn't hear. However, he failed to do so as Takeru opened his eyes and turned to see Narri crying.

"Narri...? What's wrong? Did something bad happen!?" Takeru asked in surprise as Narri uncovered his face to see the human brother he loved looking at him with deep concern. **"I... I... BROTHER!" **Narri sobbed as he dove into his human brother's chest, crying onto his pajamas shirt, causing Takeru to narrow his eyes solemnly.

Carrying Narri outside so he wouldn't wake the others, the Nuvema boy shushed his crying Riolu, smiling softly as he comforted his Emanation Pokémon. He knew that he had to know what Narri was experiencing or feeling, so that he could help him when he needs it.

To be continued...

* * *

**Takeru's Team:**

**Riolu: (M): (Aura Sphere, Blaze Kick, ThunderPunch, Dig)**

**Deino: (M): (Dragon Rage, Headbutt, Bite, Incinerate****)**

**Tranquill: (M): (Air Cutter, Gust, Aerial Ace, Roost)**

**Tepig: (M): (Flamethrower, Smog, Flame Charge, Rollout)**

**Zorua: (F): (Scratch, Leer, Pursuit, ?)**

**Darmanitan: (M): (Psychic, Bulk Up, Fire Punch, Flamethrower)**

With Prof. Juniper:

**Joltik: (M): (Electro Ball, Signal Beam, String Shot, Electroweb)**

**Petilil: (F): (Magical Leaf, Sleep Powder, Stun Spore, Mega Drain)**

Next chapters:

**Chapter 49: A Fishing Competition! Meet Rosa!**

**Chapter 50: A Fishing Scam for a Fishing Steal!**

**Chapter 51: The Crafty Emolga's Cute Looks!**

**Chapter 52: Shock Your Way Out of This, Emolga!**

**Chapter 53: No Volt Switch! Emolga's Lazy!?**

**Next chapter preview:**

Bianca: Hey, guys! I was on my way to enter this fishing competition in his town right here!

Cilan: Good! Because it's fishing time! It's not as easy as you all may think!

Iris: Oh boy... I wonder if you can catch something while feeling so confident like that.

Ash: I think I'll catch me a bunch! That way, I can catch more Unova Pokémon here!

Takeru: Water Types, huh... This might actually be a good chance for me to catch one... and to make a new friend for Narri...

Rosa: Are these your friends, Bianca? It's nice to meet you all! My name is Rosa!

**Events that occurred:**

\- Takeru reunites with his old friend, Nate, who challenges him to a battle, which Takeru wins in

\- Ash challenges Burgh and seemingly wins, possibly earning the Insect Badge

\- Narri starts to regain some of his past forgotten memories, only for those memories to be horrible ones


	49. A Fishing Competition! Meet Rosa!

**Chapter 49: A Fishing Competition! Meet Rosa!**

"What happened, Narri? Was it a bad dream?" Takeru asked Narri, who slowly took his face out of his human brother's chest. He wiped the tears off of his face, before looking up at Takeru with his teary-eyed face. **"Y-Yes... No... It was more likely a bad memory of my past life..." **Narri said sadly as tears welled up in his eyes again.

"..." Takeru remained silent as he allowed Narri to continue on with his words about his past memory.

**"I saw... my Mom and Dad and me when I was an Egg. I wasn't alone, however... I had two siblings: one older brother and one younger sister. My dad said something about a destiny that we were attached to that we needed to fulfill when we hatch and grow up..." **Narri explained sadly.

"What kind of destiny?" Takeru asked as the Emanation Pokémon shook his head. **"I don't know... All I know is that I was involved in something big, since I was the son of the leader."** Narri said as he looked out towards the moon at the sky.

"So... That's what Nate's Lucario meant when he said you were the son of the three lost children of his leader..." Takeru said, surprising the young Fighting Type in the process. **"You... heard him say that?" **Narri asked, causing Takeru to nod as he gave a serious expression to his Pokémon partner.

"I was kind of confused to what he was referring to, but... Now that you told me about your past, I guess I can understand of what he said back then after our battle was over... This destiny your Dad spoke of... Could it have something to do with the Tao trio?" Takeru asked, catching Narri by surprise and confusion.

"What do you mean by that?" Narri asked as the Nuvema boy folded his arms before he remembered about his link with Narri during his battle with Burgh and Nate as he shook his head before he explained.

"When we were battling against Burgh the first time, I felt something... something was connecting you and me together, causing us to unlock some sort of power to help us defeat any strong opponents that was about to overwhelm us. And during our battle with Nate, my **Tao Form** powers felt like they were sharing themselves to your body." Takeru explained.

He closed his eyes before he glanced at his Emanation Pokémon. "It's as if... Zekrom was willing to give you some of the power that I had, which allowed you to create that giant Aura Sphere to make our win. Of course... this is just a guess, so I really can't say for sure." Takeru said, as he scratched the back of his head.

Hearing Zekrom's name, Riolu widened his red eyes in surprise, before he frowned.** "I... I'm not sure about that... I mean, I'm sure of what you said about Tao Form giving me strength was right, but... I don't think Zekrom could have anything to do with this really..." **Narri said solemnly.

Before Takeru could ask why, Narri explained the reason for his words. **"You... haven't spoke with Zekrom about the new links of Tao Form, right, brother? The only time you activated Tao Form was when we were pushed into a corner or when you had to fight off that Meteonite monster."** Narri said with a frown.

Recognizing that Narri's words were true, the Nuvema boy sighed as he agreed with what Narri had just said.

"Yeah... I guess so. But, how would you explain about my **Tao Form** powers sharing some of its power with you?" Takeru asked as the question left Narri unable to answer. Seeing how upset or confused Narri looked, the Nuvema boy changed the subject, turning to the subject about Narri's true home and family.

"Anyways... With what your memory showed you about your home and parents... Do you... Do you want to go back there?" Takeru asked as Narri widened his eyes at the question as the Nuvema boy softly smiled as he started to explain about his deal to the young Emanation Pokémon.

"I mean... from what you experienced in your past, I'm sure your parents must be traumatized and worried sick for you and your siblings. So, if you say that you want to go back to where you belong, I can help if you'd like. Though, I would need to confirm where your home is, while searching for your siblings at the same time." Takeru explained.

With the deal his human brother was making, Riolu smiled weakly, tears welling in his eyes again as he walked up to his human brother before he jumped into his lap and snuggled onto his chest. This startled the Nuvema boy for a moment until Narri spoke up, saying his weak thanks to Takeru for the proposal.

**"I would... love that, big brother."** Narri said softly, earning a small smile from the Nuvema boy as he gave Narri a gentle hug to soothe him, as Narri snuggled into his human brother even more.

Neither of the two knew it, but while they bonded with each other more, they didn't feel Zekrom's presence, as he seemed to approve of Takeru's decision and resolve to return Narri to his home.

**The next morning...**

Leaving the Pokémon Center, the Kanto trainer was feeling psyched for his next Gym battle after he had won against Burgh yesterday. "How long until we get to Nimbasa City?" Ash asked the Connoisseur. After being informed of Burgh by the next Gym that's far ahead, Ash was already pumped up for his fourth Gym battle.

Taking out his Town Map, Cilan searched for their destination and smiled, seeing how much distance and time it would take to get to the next city. "It might take a few days to get there. If we leave now, I think it would take a shorter amount of time." Cilan said as this made the Kanto trainer even more pumped for his next Gym battle.

"Pikachu! Let's definitely win our next Badge there, okay?" "Pika Pikachu!" Ash said, turning to his Electric Type partner. At the call, the Electric Type nodded with a smile, as he was also looking forward for the upcoming challenge at the next Gym.

Takeru only smiled sheepishly as Iris noticed the change of expression on Takeru's face. "Takeru? Is everything okay?" Iris asked, catching the Nuvema boy by surprise. "What do you mean by that, Iris?" Takeru asked as the wild girl folded her arms in confusion and suspicion.

"Well, you don't look like you slept well, since you're looking tired already." Iris explained as Ash and Cilan turned to see Takeru looking a bit tired as well, considering how his eyes and face looked. Narri blinked, before he looked at his human brother as he frowned in both worry and shame.

His yelling of his bad memory caused his human brother to stay awake so he could comfort him, which resulted him with a lack of sleep. Takeru, however, brushed off Iris' suspicion and waved his hands in front of his face to reassure to his friends that he was fine.

"I just had trouble sleeping last night because of yesterday! There's nothing to worry about at all!" Takeru said reassuringly as Cilan frowned as well. "Are you sure? If something's wrong, you can tell us!" Cilan said as Ash piped up, looking concerned as well.

"Yeah. I think it's because of that battle against the Meteonite monster that's affecting your mind, which could be a part of reason why you look tired." Ash said, as both Iris and Cilan sweat dropped at the Kanto trainer's words. When it comes to Ash, he could be a bit dense when it comes to seeing how other people looked.

"Yeah, like I said... There's nothing to worry about at all. I'll be fine once we get moving and out of Castelia City, okay?" Takeru said as he walked ahead of his friends, leaving the three to be even more worried for the Nuvema boy.

Narri looked up at his human brother, with a worried loom on his face.** "Brother...?" **Narri said until Takeru rubbed his head in comfort, making another reassurance, this time toward his Emanation Pokémon. "I'll be fine, Narri. There's nothing to worry about." Takeru said softly, causing Narri to smile weakly and nod.

**"If you say so, brother Takeru..."** Narri said as the doubt still lingered in his mind.

* * *

**(Pokémon BW Opening (Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V Opening 4 Lyrics) (****English Subbed))**

(Many Pokéballs pass by, coming from the bright light)

**_Now is the time, hold up your trump card._**

**_ This future is yours to take!_**

(Takeru catches one of them and summons his Pokémon)

(The Best Wishes opening title shows with Takeru, Ash, Iris, and Cilan's four faces showing)

**_Burning brightly. _**

**_Like you're still watching an unending dream_**

(Takeru walks on a path at night with a serious expression on his face, with Riolu at his side)

**_Your body yearns for it. _**

**_A place where those who are strong are._**

(Ash stands at a battlefield, with Pikachu on his shoulder, as they prepare to face their opponent)

**_Shaky, wavering. _**

**_What you're looking for it nowhere to be found._**

(Cilan and Pansage are preparing supper, until they see a shooting star up on the evening sky)

**_But you're still seeking it._**

**_A place overwhelming with power._**

(Iris and Axew watches the forest on a high branch of a giant tree)

_**The next battle is waiting for me.**_

(Team Rocket and Team Plasma stand in opposition, ready to fight)

(Jessie, James, and Meowth stand above the Team Rocket organization)

(Aldith and Barrett stand above the Team Plasma organization)

(Giovanni and Ghetsis stand big and tall as each organization's leader)

**_I can hear the sign of new days coming._**

(Shade turns, offering a hand, with Ryuu and Chikage behind him)

(Takeru, Iris, Ash, Cilan, Nate, Rosa, and Hugh prepares to fight against their enemies)

(Riolu, Axew, Pikachu, Pansage, Pignite, Servine, and Dewott stands behind their trainers)

**_Now is the time, hold up your trump card. _**

**_This future is yours to take!_**

(Takeru summons all eight of his Pokémon; Riolu, Tranquill, Pignite, Joltik, Deino, Zorua, Darmanitan, and Petilil)

(Ash summons his Pokémon; Pikachu, Snivy, Tepig, Oshawott, Tranquill, Swadloon, and Scraggy)

**Whether your smile can shake this world is all up to you.**

(Iris summons her Pokémon; Axew, Emolga and Excadrill)

(Cilan summons his Pokémon; Pansage, Dwebble, and Stunfisk)

**_Write a new chapter in this story._**

**_After all, aren't you the hero?_**

(Zekrom and Reshiram roars together in opposition)

(Takeru and Zekrom merges together, making Takeru a different person)

(Takeru, Ash, Cilan, and Iris all stand together with all their current Pokémon)

**(Opening ends)**

* * *

Takeru managed to look okay now as he was now in full spirits, causing him to look wide awake. Forgetting about Takeru's issues with his sleep last night, Ash turned his focus back onto his incoming Gym battle in Nimbasa City. "Oh yeah! We're gonna battle soon!" Ash said, feeling pumped up as the battling thoughts came to his mind.

Takeru sighed, seeing how cocky the Kanto trainer seemed when it came to challenging the Gym Leaders to a Gym battle as he remembered of his promise with Narri. "I guess I found another reason to why I have to become stronger and travel around with the others..." Takeru said to himself as he made a serious look.

"Out of the way! Out of the way! Move out of the way!" A familiar voice cried out, catching the others by surprise. Everyone turned to see a familiar girl running towards them as Iris tried to warn the Kanto trainer. "Look out!" Iris yelled, only for the warning to come too late for Ash!

The girl running bumped into Ash, knocking him off the path and into the canal! The Kanto trainer splashed into the water, shocking the others and the girl as Takeru was the first to run over to his Kanto friend. He noticed the hat floating off, until Ash's hat burst out of the water as he groaned from the hit he just took.

"You okay down there?" "Pika?" Takeru and Pikachu asked together as Ash pouted with the question. "What does it look like, Takeru?" Ash groaned as the Nuvema boy sighed as he turned to Iris and Cilan. "Could you guys give me a hand here?" Takeru asked as the other two agreed to help out.

"Sure thing!" "Of course." They said as the three together managed to get the now wet Kanto trainer out of the canal. By the time they did that, another girl was running to their way.

"Bianca! Can't you slow down for even once!?" The girl cried out as everyone turned to see the newcomer. She looked like a Trainer with a playful looking journey outfit as she had a hat, similar to what Nate had, only for it to look like a girl's design. She looked innocent, but serious as she pouted at the impatient girl.

"Geez... Now, look what you've done! You bumped into another person because of your hastiness!" The girl said scoldingly as Takeru looked at the girl in confusion before he looked at her familiar rival. "Bianca? And... who are you?" Takeru asked as the girl turned her pouting into a sweet smile as she made her introduction.

"I'm Rosa! Nice to meet you all! You must be the guys that Bianca was talking about earlier!" Rosa said positively as Iris and Cilan only remained speechless to see the girl change her personality so quick as Ash raised an eyebrow in confusion.

**Later...**

Using the fire made from his Tepig, Ash was soon drying his clothes as he left with only wearing his striped boxers. While he and Pikachu were drying his wet clothes, Bianca walked over to him, as she bowed down several times, making her apology to the Kanto trainer multiple times with shame.

"I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry! I'm really sorry!" Bianca said frantically as Ash groaned at his clumsy rival. "Come on, Bianca... Why were you moving so fast?" Ash asked as Rosa clapped her hands together, before making her apology as well.

"Sorry... It's just that ever since Bianca had heard about this fishing competition occurring in this town, she wanted to participate, dragging me along as well." Rosa said apologetically as this caught Cilan's attention. The mention of it caught Bianca's attention as well as she took out a poster to prove Rosa's words.

"It's true! It's because of this I was in such a hurry!" Bianca said as Cilan seemed excited and ecstatic to see the poster. "Is this...!? They're having a fishing competition!?" Cilan exclaimed as Rosa nodded in confirmation.

"That's right. After seeing this, Bianca was quite excited to participate, so she ended up running the whole way so she wouldn't be late to participate." Rosa explained as Bianca turned to her friend with a pouting look. "Oh come on, Rosa... Don't talk like that! You wanted to enter it too, didn't you?" Bianca asked, much to Rosa's surprise.

"N-No way... I'm not a fisher-girl! I'm a Pokémon Trainer! And besides, I already have a Water Type in my team, Bianca... considering that I also never fished before..." Rosa said, flushing with embarrassment as Takeru sighed, folding his arms.

The personality of this girl felt familiar to him as it seemed familiar when he reunited with Nate the other day. "Say... Are you one of the Trainers from Aspertia Town?" Takeru asked, catching Rosa by surprise as she answered his question. "Huh? Oh... Yes, why do you ask?" Rosa asked as Takeru smiled.

"A childhood friend of mine named Nate lives there... Since you seemed to have dressed similarly to him, only with different style, I assumed you lived in the same hometown as him. Plus, your personality seemed similar to Nate." Takeru explained as Rosa blinked in surprise as she soon knew who the Nuvema boy was.

"Ohh... So then, you must be Takeru! Nate's childhood friend, right!? I didn't recognize you because of the... um, dark outfit you're wearing..." Rosa said as she noticed the Tao Form outfit that Takeru was wearing as she also noticed the Sword of Yin sheath on Takeru's back, causing her to frown at it.

Before Takeru could explain, Bianca became more frantic as she reminded Rosa about their reason for being here. "Come on, Rosa! We have to go, before the registration is over!" Bianca said as Ash chuckled at his rival's hurry to enter.

"Whoa, sounds like you're a fishing pro if you're talking like that..." Ash said until Bianca corrected the Kanto trainer with a cheeky smile on her face. "Oh no... First time! I could never do a thing when I was living at home. Now that I'm on my own, I can do what I want! So, I thought I at least try this once!" Bianca explained.

The explanation left Ash bewildered for a moment before his confident face returned. "Well, I've tried fishing before! Maybe I'll enter it and catch me a bunch!" Ash said confidently, as Pikachu called out in agreement. "Pika!" Pikachu said, mimicking his trainer's face expression as Takeru folded his arms.

"Fishing, huh...? Now that I think about it, I could catch me a Water Type to make comrades with..." Takeru said sternly as he gave it a thought, which Rosa noticed as she frowned in confusion.

"Comrades...?" She thought until Iris interrupted her thoughts, feeling confident for the competition, too. "Bet you can't catch more than me!" Iris said confidently as Cilan shot up, feeling determined all of a sudden! This startled everyone else in the process as the Connoisseur showed his determined expression to fish for victory.

"Mm... GOOD! Because it's fishing time!" Cilan cried out, bewildering his three friends, while leaving Bianca and Rosa confused.

"Fishing! It's not as easy as you think! NO, IT'S NOT! Only a slender fishing line connects you with the crafty Pokémon hiding beneath the waves! It's a battle of wits! I'm going to enter the competition, and I'm going to win it!" Cilan yelled out loud, his determination rising higher and higher as Takeru sweat dropped at this.

"Great... His enthusiasm shot out like a volcano..." Takeru said annoyingly as Narri sighed with the Connoisseur's behavior.** "Well, this is Cilan we're talking about, brother..."** Narri said as the Nuvema boy nodded in understanding.

"Uh... Cilan? What's gotten into you?" Ash asked as the Connoisseur explained, with the fire burning in his eyes. "What's gotten into me, is that the fact that I'm also a Fishing Connoisseur!" Cilan explIned as this surprised Ash, Rosa, Iris, and Bianca, before they all gave off different reactions to this.

Ash seemed amazed, while Rosa was unconvinced. Iris only smiled sheepishly as Bianca asked her in confusion. "Is there even such a thing?" Bianca asked as Iris shrugged. "Who knows?" Iris said as everyone decided to go along, taking part in the fishing competition.

Soon, they arrived to where the competition was taking place as Ash raised a question to the Nuvema boy. "Hey, Takeru? Who was this Nate you were talking about earlier with Rosa? Did it have something to do with you leaving my Gym battle with Burgh yesterday?" Ash asked as Takeru smiled with a nod.

"Yeah. Nate was my childhood friend, who lived in Nuvema Town. When we were young, we used to play a lot together, and have many dreams on becoming successful Pokémon Trainers... until he moved away to Aspertia Town, due to his parents having some education business over there..." Takeru explained with a sigh.

Cilan and Iris listened as the now calmed down Connoisseur smiled in understanding. "I see... So, this is how you came to know Rosa when you mentioned his new hometown... Did you and Nate have a battle when Ash had his Gym battle with Burgh?" Cilan said as Takeru nodded back in confirmation.

"Yeah... Since it's been a few years... he thought I would remember him if we were to have a battle together. His idea proved to be more than necessary, though..." Takeru said softly as he remembered in how serious Nate seemed when it came to a Pokémon battle, especially since it was against himself.

He kept out the part where he nearly mentioned about Narri's past and his true name as he decided before that the promise between himself and Narri would know stay between them. It didn't involve the others, so he decided to keep it to himself.

As soon as he finished his thoughts, the four trainers, Rosa, and Bianca had arrived at a place near the canal where a fishing competition seemed to be taking place, similar to the small poster that Bianca had showed. "That must be the registration booth up ahead!" Cilan said as Ash noticed it, too.

"Sure seems that way!" Ash said as the six all got in line, with Bianca pestering Rosa to enter, much to the Aspertia girl's chagrin as she finally agreed to participate as well. "Now, everybody with an interest in entering the competition will need to fill out this form!" The man in the booth explained.

Once one of the boys lining up had done so, the man allowed the boy inside to choose a fishing rod best suitable for him. "Thanks! Now, you may proceed inside and choose a fishing rod!" The man said as Takeru frowned at the man. He thought he had seen the man smirk as an unfriendly Aura came from the man.

_"I've got a weird feeling about this fishing competition..."_ Takeru thought until a familiar voice came to his mind.**_ "I'm getting a weird feeling too, brother..."_** Narri's voice said inside him, shocking the Nuvema boy in the process.

_"Narri? How did you-" _Takeru said in his mind as his Emanation Pokémon looked at him with a mischievous smile on his face. **_"Ever since we used our powers together to defeat both Burgh and Nate, I felt as if our bonds became stronger, strong enough to let us communicate with each other with our minds."_** Narri explained.

That interested the Nuvema boy as he smiled in understanding. _"I see... I guess this can help us if we don't want anyone to listen to what we're saying to each other... You know, about our linked powers and my promise to return you home?"_ Takeru asked as Narri gave a nod with a smile.

**_"Mm... I understand what you mean, big bro." _**Narri said in his mind with a small smile.

By the time the two had finished their mind conversation, they and the others have already filled out their registration sheet to hand in to the man in the booth. "Excuse me? We'd all like to enter the competition! Here!" Ash said as the six trainers handed in their registration forms, as the man took them with a smile.

"Let's see have a look!... Everything seems to be in order here." The man said as a woman came out from the back to give the group their fishing Pokéballs! "And here is your supply of fishing Pokéballs! Once you reel in, battle and defeat a Water Type Pokémon, please use one of these fishing Pokéballs to catch it!" The woman called out.

"Remember, it can be any kind of Water Type Pokémon, and whoever catches the biggest Pokémon will be the winner!" The man explained as the two huddled up together to reveal the grand prize for the victor.

"And the grand prize is... ta-dah! The incredible super-super Golden Rod!" The woman explained as everyone was in awe to see a golden fishing rod at display. "I've never heard of it, but it sounds great!" Iris said as Rosa and Bianca seemed to be amazed at the sight as well.

"A fishing competition, with the prize of a golden fishing rod... That's kind of a first..." Rosa said in disbelief as Ash grew more excited as he tried to ask for the golden rod. "Yeah! Then, I'll use that rod!" Ash said until the officials gave a reminder to the Kanto trainer for the rules of the use of the prize.

"Nope! No can do!" The woman said as the man sheepishly gestured to the rods at his left. "I'm afraid you're going to have to make a choice from the rods to my left!" The man said as Takeru sweat dropped at Ash's obliviousness to the way the competition goes on.

"That's a prize you're pointing to, Ash... You can't just use the prize unless you win it..." Takeru said dryly as he eyed the golden rod strangely, like it looked suspicious of some sort. _"Why do I get the feeling that the golden rod is not as amazing as it looks...?"_ Takeru asked himself as he shook his head of his suspicion.

Even Narri felt suspicious of the rod until they were pulled away by Ash and Pikachu to head for the fishing rods to make their choice! Bianca spotted a blue rod that seemed to inspire her as she made a reach for it. "There! This one's mine, then!" Bianca said until Cilan stopped her with a serious, but dramatic look on his face.

"NOPE! Big mistake! The worst possible choice for a beginner!" Cilan called out, much to Rosa's annoyance as she confronted the Striaton Gym Leader with an annoyed face expression.

"How would you know if Bianca's making a mistake for her choice? It's probably you that's making the wrong choice here, Mr. Fishing Connoisseur!" Rosa said as Cilan smirked at the annoyed question. He began to inspect the fishing rods to answer Rosa's question as he picked out a red fishing rod for her.

He took it out to test the bendfulness of the rod before he handed it to her. "Here! The combination of bend and center of gravity makes this one perfect for the beginner!" Cilan said as Bianca hesitantly accepted it with a confused look on her face.

"Okay... Thank you?" Bianca said as Rosa shook her head. "That still doesn't answer my question... For me... I'll pick this one, then." Rosa said as she reached for a pink rod until Takeru accidentally crossed her way by reaching for a black fishing rod!

The two blinked before they glanced at each other as they sheepishly smiled together before the Nuvema boy allowed Rosa to go first. "Oh! Ah... ha ha... You can go first, if you'd like." Takeru said, his face flushing a little with embarrassment, causing Rosa to blush a little before she giggled at Takeru's face expression.

"Such a man! Thank you." Rosa said as she took out her pink fishing rod from the stands before Cilan could correct her choice. Once she had picked her choice, the Nuvema boy took the black fishing rod as Riolu frowned at the choice of color his human brother was making.

**"Um... Brother? Don't you think you have enough black in your hands already? You have the Sword of Yin, your Tao Form outfit, and you're even choosing a rod that's also black..."** Narri said in confusion as Takeru chuckled at the Emanation Pokémon's confusion for the same color choice.

"I guess it's just my choice of choosing black, Narri. And besides... Zekrom is a black dragon, the user of thunder, right? So, since I'm representing him, thanks to my **Tao Form** powers, it'd be best for me to make this kind of choice." Takeru explained as Narri shrugged before smiling in understanding.

**"I guess that makes sense..."** Narri said as Ash approached the Connoisseur, questioning his choice for his own rod. "So? Have you chosen a rod yet, Cilan?" Ash asked as the Striaton Gym Leader smirked with confidence burning in his eyes.

"Ha ha ha! Have I? I sure have! This one!" Cilan said loudly, as he took out a purple pen-figure from his pocket, much to Ash and Bianca's confusion as Takeru, Narri, and Pikachu just stared in curiosity as the Connoisseur began to show his fishing rod that's taken a form as a pen when closed!

"Ha ha ha! Feast your eyes! When you're an expert, only a custom made rod in real will do!" Cilan said as he pulled onto the tip of the pen to reveal itself as a long purple fishing rod! Both Ash and Bianca were amazed, while Takeru and Rosa were bewildered to see this happen, as Iris on the other hand, felt dull as she gave a sigh.

"That's awesome, Cilan!" "Truly amazing!" Ash and Bianca commented together as the Nuvema boy narrowed his eyes. "How long has he been hiding that?" Takeru asked as Narri cocked his head with both curiosity and confusion.

"No, duh. Why should fishing be any less annoying?" Iris asked with an annoyed look on her face. "Ew..." Axew seemed to agree as everyone made their choice for their fishing choice. Once they were all ready, the six trainers approached the canal to see other Trainers competing in the fishing competition as well!

"So, that's where we're fishing!" Bianca said as she pointed out to the competitors that were fishing for Water Types, too. "Wow... Look at all the competitors!" Iris said in surprise as Takeru noticed a small water battlefield next to the fishing pier.

"I guess that must be the battlefield for trainers and the Water Types they reel in." Takeru said as Rosa sighed. "Well then... Shall we all get going?" Rosa asked as the others agreed. Bianca on the other hand, seemed to be too exctied as she began to wave her fishing rod around!

"Right... Time to catch some Pokémon! Ha ha ha ha!" laughed Bianca as she waved her rod around, causing the hook to wave around in a dangerous way, causing both Iris and Rosa to freak out! "Eek! Watch where you wave that thing!" Iris shrieked as she ran off to the fishing pier as Rosa just dodged out of the way quickly.

"Don't be reckless, Bianca! You could end up hurting someone if you wave the rod like that too much!" warned Rosa as she tried to stop her friend from making any reckless activities. Ash and Takeru have already begun to fish as they swing their fishing hooks in to lure in some Water Type Pokémon.

"Yeah! I'm gonna catch the biggest Pokémon ever!" Ash said as Takeru gave a smirk at him. "You think? There's a slight chance that that biggest Pokémon will come to me." Takeru said as Riolu nodded in agreement, causing Ash to think of this as a challenge.

"You think, Takeru!? Then, let's find out!" Ash said as the boys began to compete with one another as they waited for their Pokémon to be lured in, until Bianca swung her fishing rod too hard, the hook of it ended up snagging Ash's jacket hood! It caused Ash to yelp and surprise Takeru as Bianca thought of it as a heavy fish!

"I've got one! And it's a whopper!" Bianca said as she tried to pull Ash, much to the Kanto trainer's annoyance as he yelled to her. "It's not a whopper! It's me, Bianca!" grunted Ash as he struggled to breath a little, due to the hook hanging onto his hood as Bianca turned in surprise before she frowned.

"I don't think it counts if I catch you, Ash..." Bianca said until Rosa began to scold her friend for her recklessness.

"Of course it doesn't count! Now stop pulling, Bianca! You're choking him!" Rosa said as Takeru managed to unhook the hook off of Ash's jacket hood, much to the Kanto trainer's relief. "There... Feel better now?" Takeru asked as the Kanto trainer nodded as he took a few deep breaths, while thanking the Nuvema boy.

"Yeah... Thanks a lot, Takeru." Ash said as Bianca walked over to the Kanto trainer with an apologetic look on her face. "I'm really sorry about that, Ash..." Bianca said as the Kanto trainer frowned at her for her hasty actions.

"Be careful with that, would ya?" Ash asked as the girl sheepishly smiled before she reminded the Kanto trainer of her inexperience with fishing as this was her first time. "I told you I never fished before, right?" Bianca asked as Takeru scratched the back of his head.

"Yes, you did... But waving the rod like that didn't have to do with your inexperience with fishing. It had to do with your sugar personality, making hasty decisions, while causing someone else to get hurt. It's that habit that's going to get you in a heap of trouble, Bianca." Takeru said with a serious look on her face.

"I know... I'm sorry. Really." Bianca said as Rosa sighed. The Connoisseur smiled before he offered his teaching to Bianca.

"You can leave the fishing lesson to me! I'll show you a how pro does it! In a blink of an eye!" Cilan said as he began to show Bianca the first lesson of fishing by swinging his fishing rod to aim it towards the water.

Soon, the Connoisseur was waiting for his prey as he began to wait patiently to lure in the Pokémon at the right time. Seeing how long this wild take, the Nuvema boy shook his head and turned to Rosa. "Let's leave them be. We both know how to fish, don't we?" Takeru asked as Rosa slowly nodded in agreement.

"Yeah... I believe so..." Rosa said as she and the Nuvema boy walked to a different side of the pier to capture a Water Type Pokémon for the competition. They casted their fishing rods to hook their fishing hook in the water as they got ready to fight against the Pokémon they would battle and capture!

While Cilan was teaching the others about the basics of fishing Pokémon, both Takeru and Rosa waited patiently for their catch to come out. Just as they were waiting, something hooked onto Rosa's hook, catching her by surprise! "Ooh! I've got a bite! And it's a big one here!" Rosa gasped as she tried to reel it in.

Unfortunately, due to her reeling it in fast, the Pokémon she caught escaped! Rosa felt the weight decrease as she fished her hook out to see that nothing was dangling on her hook, much to her disappointment. "Ugh... And just when I thought I had it..." Rosa said as Takeru sheepishly smiled, before he felt something tugging onto his rod!

"I've got one, too!" grunted Takeru as something strong pulled the Nuvema boy, causing Narri to hold onto his leg to prevent his human brother from slipping! Rosa widened her eyes and helped Takeru as the two trainers and Narri pulled onto the Pokémon that had caught the Nuvema boy's bait.

"Alright... PULL!" Takeru yelled as he made one last strong pull with Rosa. What came out of the water wasn't a fish-looking Pokémon, but a Pokémon that looked like a stubborn turtle! Ash, Iris, Cilan, and Bianca turned their attention to see what Takeru had caught as Cilan had captured his newly caught Basculin.

"What is that Pokémon!?" Ash said in surprise as Cilan widened his eyes. "Why, it's... it's a Tirtouga!" Cilan said as the others were shocked to see this Pokémon as the Nuvema boy narrowed his eyes in both surprise and confusion.

"But... why is a Tirtouga here...?" Takeru asked as he took out his Pokédex to scan the Water-Rock Type.

"Tirtouga, the Prototurtle Pokémon. Tirtouga can dive underwater to half-mile depths, and can also attack onshore." Takeru's Pokédex buzzed until Iris called for the Nuvema boy. "Takeru, look out!" Iris shrieked out, catching the Nuvema boy by surprise as he saw the angry Tirtouga aiming to attack him!

To be continued...

* * *

**Takeru's Team:**

**Riolu (Narri): (M): (Aura Sphere, Blaze Kick, ThunderPunch, Dig)**

**Deino: (M): (Dragon Rage, Headbutt, Bite, Incinerate)**

**Tranquill: (M): (Air Cutter, Gust, Roost, Aerial Ace)**

**Tepig: (M): (Flamethrower, Smog, Flame Charge, Rollout)**

**Zorua: (F): (Scratch, Leer, Pursuit, ?)**

**Darmanitan: (M): (Psychic, Bulk Up, Fire Punch, Flamethrower)**

With Prof. Juniper:

**Petilil: (F): (Magical Leaf, Stun Spore, Mega Drain, Sleep Powder)**

**Joltik: (M): (Electro Ball, Electroweb, String Shot, Signal Beam)**

Next chapters:

**Chapter 50: A Fishing Scam for a Fishing Steal!**

**Chapter 51: The Crafty Emolga's Cute Looks!**

**Chapter 52: Shock Your Way Out of This, Emolga!**

**Chapter 53: No Volt Switch! Emolga's Lazy!?**

**Chapter 54: The Rage of Simisear! Tacky Tricks!?**

**Next chapter preview:**

Cilan: Mm-hm! With my newly caught Basculin, I'll be sure to win this fishing competition!

Iris: Aw, no way! I can't catch any Water Pokémon with my own bare hands?! This stinks...

Takeru: You... You've got to be kidding me... A Frillish, out of all places!? OH, COME ON!

Rosa: Hold on! Those Fishing Pokéballs aren't yours! Just who are you people!?

Jessie: Hmph! Exacting questions come indeed, young twerpette!

James: The answer to come, as we feel the need, twerps!

**Events that occurred:**

\- The group meets Rosa and reunites with Bianca

\- The group enters a local Fishing Competition

\- Takeru makes a promise to Narri to return him to his home


End file.
